Anything for Rin
by Amalia993
Summary: Rin, 17 years old, has to make her choice between her Lord and humans. The time has come for her to choose, little did Sesshomaru expect that he would not be the only one asking for Rin to go with him. The competition is on! Rated M for safety
1. Chapter 1- Protective

_**Chapter 1**_

 _ **Decisions**_

This is my first SesshXRin Fic! This is the first chapter, please let me know what you think! :) hope you all enjoy :) :)

It took him less time than he had anticipated reaching the village he had left 6 years ago. She would be turning 17 this year, and he promised her on the departing night that he would come back for her when the time was right so that she can choose. During those years he never let her feel neither abandoned nor unwanted. He tried his best to visit but never overstayed. He knew Rin was attached to him, and even though he never voiced it, he was attached to her. His mind meandered to the memory of the night he left her at the old miko's village...

"Sesshomaru-sama! What do you mean I am to stay here in this village? Have I offended you? Rin is sorry!"  
She desperately said but she never inched closer to him for comfort. She would be determined to not let the tears that threatened to spill, flow out of their confinement. She was determined to be strong, just like he was.

He did not say it then, but he was forced to admit it to himself: he admired her strength and her courage. He knew that leaving her would be hard for him, but he would always want her to have a choice. He knew it would be a cruel choice between him and humans, but it was a decision he had to make. His stoic mask in place he only replied with few words: "You have not Rin, you must get accustomed to your own kind."

With that he turned to leave not allowing her to see the pain that cracked through his seamless mask of coldness. She did not realize how much she had changed him, nor would he let her see that side of him at this moment. Keeping his back towards her, he took a few steps, ignoring the pain that threatened to squeeze the very breath out of him. He moved to take another step when something grabbed hold of his calf.

Rin.

She was a tiny thing, a bundle of happiness that had come into his life and taught him what it meant to feel.

He looked down at her, his chest constricting at the heart shredding image of her pleading eyes. He saw the tears welling up, and her determination to not let them fall.

"Promise me Sesshomaru-sama, that you would visit…I know that you would be busy, but please…."

"Hnnh"

Realising that she gotten confirmation that he would visit, as he had hoped she gifted him one of the most precious thing that was truly hers to give, a brilliant smile that paled the moon's glow and warmed the youkai's heart.

A pungent odor brought him out of his meandering thoughts of that night. The sun was at its peak and the wind was blowing from the direction of her village. His speed increased tenfold as he sped to where she would be. A hint of blood tinged the wind allowing the worry to erupt in his mind. It was hers. Someone had spilt her blood.

His eyes already glowed red in anticipation of the vengeance that would be exacted on the foul creature that would touch her. It would pay dearly.

Suddenly he stopped. He had reached the clearing where he had left her on his last visit. Hysterical giggles and laughter rang in the air. Male voices were making conversation as a female voice chirped in. He recognized the males' scents and he did not like it one bit: desire. He focused on the voice he never could forget. She was alive! Rushing to the laughter's source, the scene before him shocked him to his very core as amazement and fear punched his heart, speeding its rhythm.

There, standing happily atop a giant mass of green scales was a girl, 17 years at most, with long flowing black hair that gleamed in the sunlight, a scythe in her right hand while the left rested on her hip. Decked in ebony colored pants, an armor that protected her upper torso and thighs shone silver in the sun, the girl laughed as she joked about the dead demon she stood on. She was a wondrous creature to behold; the joy in her face highlighted the beauty that she grew into. He stared at her in awe as he etched the scene in his memory but he sniffed the air realising that he still smelt her blood. Tracing his eyes over her, he saw a slight would on her neck that leaked blood and had dried on her shoulder. Staining the already red shirt she had worn below her armor.

Within a second he was at her side, taking her in his arms, he brought her closer bending so that his face was a few millimeters away from the wound. Knowing that his saliva had healing properties he covered the injury with it, moving his tongue over it until it was coated. He immediately felt her stiffen at the contact and her scent changed at that instant. Knowing what it meant he moved back to look at her directly in her chocolate eyes.

"Rin."

"Sesshomaru-sama! You came back!"

"Yes. Have you forgotten, today is the day you give me your choice."

Beaming at his words, she opened her mouth to reply, however she was cut across by one of the little human males.

"Rin isn't going anywhere with you demon! She is to be married and live her life here!"

Horror etched its way into her delicate features, as she continued to stare at the audacity of the boy to answer her Lord in such a manner. Taking the silence as a cue for him to continue, he took a deep breath and said in a steady voice:

"If you want her, you have to fight us for her. She will never go with you!"

Rin looked from the foolish boy to her Lord, waiting for his response. His cold mask never slipped as he replied in his monotone deadly voice, while a hint of a smile played on his lips.

"So be it, human."

Sorry for the cliff hanger but the story would continue :D I know it started off as a serious chapter, but I promise it would be lots of fun! I promise!


	2. Chapter 2- What is mine is mine

**Chapter 2**

 **What is mine… is mine**

 **Hi everybody! I couldn't help it I had to post the next chapter! Hope u enjoy it!**

 **Disclaimers: I do not own Inuyasha, nor any character, except my own creation(s)! The name Fluffy-sama I read in another fic, so to the author of that fic Fluffy is yours :)**

…

He huffed. That Sesshomaru huffed. His irritation reached its peak when he saw Rin wandering freely, close to the clearing, taking all his effort to not kidnap her to his palace where he would not have to put up with this ridiculous… idiotic idea of a competition suggested by who… none other than his good-for-nothing hanyou of a brother, Inuyasha. He continued to watch Rin pace anxiously waiting on the hanyou's mate, the miko from the future, Kagome.

 _I hope she sits him a thousand times for what he has done to this_ _Sesshomaru_ _._

A tiny smile played on his lips just imagining his half-brother going deeper into the earth at every command his mate gave him. He released an uncharacteristic snort imagining the scene which made him do a double take.

 _Did I just make that hideous noise?_ _Uggh this is going to be the death of me! Oh how father would be pleased…..the death of the perfect killer by the hands of a mere mortal woman…._

 _ **But she was not any mere mortal woman, she is your Rin, couldn't you do this at least for her?**_ _His conscience rebuked._

A girlish squeal erupted from the conversing pair, which made Rin erupt into giggles, which then evolved into full blown laughter. It did strange things to him. Little flips and stirrings floated around in him till he felt the heat increased a bit but her laughter was contagious and he soon found himself smiling as he watched them at distance perched on a tree. He continued to observe her laughing to her heart's content. She was happy here, with Inuyasha, Kagome and the entire village.

 _Would she want to go back with me if she is happy here?_

He continued to watch the little nymph laughing, enjoying the private joke. Curious, he strained his ears to focus solely on the conversation leaving all the rest of his senses to search for further threats to the villages. The giggles continued before the actual conversation resumed.

"I don't know what got into Inuyasha but I think it actually is a good idea," Rin had said.

The miko nodding her agreement

 _What? She wants me to make a fool of myself? This Sesshomaru would not… nor ever…_

His thoughts faltered at Rin's next sentence. He noticed a smile slowly creeping back into her features as she said it, a slight blush tinging her cheeks.

"I don't think Fluffy-sama would appreciate that though. He is too proud… But I would like him to take part… Kagome-chan you know my decision, even before he came to ask my choice. And I want him to win! To finally prove that I am capable of being by his side… and at least I would know if he feels the same way as I do… not to mention those idiots hounding me down to mate would leave me alone…. Eeeeew to think they could ever compete with Fluffy-sama! He is soo much better…."

At that the girls laughed but the miko abruptly stopped. Judging from her scent she was excited.

"Rin-chan, I have an idea! Meet me tonight in the clearing near the well after dinner so we can begin planning!" Kagome whispered, not aware that their secret had already been found out.

Sesshomaru watched as the girls left to return to their houses, his mind reeling with the new information. Rin wanted to be by his side, she wanted him to make it official, and she did not like those meddling children. As far as he was concerned, that was all the permission he needed to confirm his decision. He would stay and be part of this ridiculous competition only to stake his claim… legally on what he considered already his.

He took to the skies to patrol the area to ascertain with visual confirmation that nothing threatened the village immediately or his Rin. After satisfying his goals, he moved to hunt for dinner, perhaps a rabbit, something light to satisfy the gnawing sensation of hunger that slowly surfaced. He found his prey and within seconds made his meal of it, relishing the slowly fading heartbeat that was replaced with silence as he consumed his snack.

Feeling sated, he flew back to the very same tree he perched on earlier. His body relaxed in a sitting position with his back against the tree trunk, his knee bent allowing his hand to rest on it. He turned his gaze to the stars and the new moon. A sight that never failed to awaken the wonder in him as he gazed into the endless black sky, dotted with tiny silver lights and pale glow of the recently born moon. To him it represented his life; the blackness of the night was what his life had been, the moon puncturing the black sheet, allowing the tiny stars to shine, creating a hope that even in the darkest night there was still a glimmer of light, a chance of hope. Rin had been his hope, she is his hope. She was his star in the darkness of the night.

Further relaxing, he closed his eyes as the conversation between Rin and the miko played again in his mind. He bolted up right as realization erupted into his thoughts.

"Fluffy-sama… Is that how she refers to the Lord of the Western lands? Fluffy?"

He did not know why but the name had a certain charm to it. No one had ever dared to call him that even in private, yet Rin…

He smiled at the memory of earning a nickname from his Rin. Since she was the one who gave it to him he would accept it, but she had to face the consequences of such an action. Not tonight, it would have to wait… till I win her, until she is mine completely, to show how much that name meant to him. He smiled at the thought and slowly began to accept the terms of the competition that would only bring his Rin to him faster... His mind played the scene in which the conditions were agreed upon…..

Rin had been in his arms, not wanting to let her go so that those rabid little humans would get their hands on her. He wanted to keep her from them. He moved her to stand behind him so he could disperse of that little human who dared challenged the killing perfection. He drew a Tokijin-like sword.

Sensing the danger as he positioned the sword towards the boy's throat, Rin slid in front of him, obstructing his view and effectively distracting him. Her scent was maddening as it seized control over all of him. His eyes slowly began turning red, however not with the need to avenge, but rather the way she was close enough to mold herself to his form. She stood directly in front of him allowing very little air to pass between them. The air hung heavy with static from being so close to each other. As if on cue a furious red painted her cheeks as she realized the compromising position she had placed herself. She slowly started to step back, however his left hand circled her waist effectively eradicating all space between them leaving her breathless. Her scent changed to nervousness tinged with curiosity and though it was starting to build rather slowly, the desire to have him closer spread allowing Sesshomaru to realize where her thoughts were heading.

The silly human interrupted the moment as he realized he was being thrown into the sidelines to witness the budding romance between human and youkai. He tugged at Rin's hand, causing her to slip off the demon she and Sesshomaru had been standing on. The youkai lord tightened his grip and flew into the air landing several feet away from the crowd. After setting her on her feet, he dashed towards his offender. Sheathing the Tokijin replica, he grabbed the boy's neck in his hands lifting him a few feet from the ground. His eyes blazed red with anger as his fingers continued to tighten its grip. The boy began choking and sputtering as he gasped for air, only to have the hand tightened further and earning a smile from the Youkai bearing his fangs.

"You do not lay a hand on what is mine. You do not hurt what is mine." he whispered to the boy as his eyes continued to gleam a menacing red.

Consumed with his rage, he barely noticed that Inuyasha had reached the clearing and was charging at him. Inuyasha gripped Sesshomaru's hand allowing the boy to drop to ground gasping for air as purplish finger marks lined his throat. Using his full power, Inuyasha knocked Sesshomaru away from the boy to a few feet away from Rin. A hot battle ensued with both brothers fighting to gain control over the other.

Rin could not bear the sight of them hurting each other. She gathered the air she need and yelled for them to stop. It was only then that Sesshomau stopped, turning to look at her. He fixed his eyes on her allowing the image of her to calm him. It was then that Inuyasha questioned his motive for being so aggressive.

"That weakling wanted her. And I do not part with what is mine brother. If he wants her he has to go through me to take her. I will not allow her to be in the hands of such creatures. She is too good for them. That is all."

That was the most he had ever said in the presence of his brother.

"Keh… then why not let them have a go at you then? No demon power to battle with. Too scared?"

Inuyasha smirked at his suggestion knowing that he would not back down from a challenge to his ego and power. Before Sesshomaru could give his answer an arrow aimed at the earth was released from the heavens. Bearing a scroll that etched the challenge that Inuyasha issued. On hearing the crack of thunder that came with the arrow, Inuyasha's mate, the monk and the demon slayer made their way hurriedly to the field. Kagome took the scroll from Inuyasha and read it aloud so that everyone was acquainted with the information.

"It is unbreakable" knowing what the question would have been, she continued looking at Sesshomaru, "you must complete the challenge; the one who you shall challenge would be the one you nearly killed… Hajime…"

"What is the meaning of this? Why has this been made legal?

"I have only read about it, and never actually seen it happened. When a youkai chooses a mate, or someone to mate with, if there are others that seek to challenge his claim, a competition of sorts must be held in order to determine who the girl in question would wed. In your case, Hajime and you are the competitors, and since Inuyasha said no powers are to be used, you would have to abide by that rule. However since this is the first time I have witnessed this, I cannot tell you how and when this will affect you…..

His eyes slowly opened taking in the light that emanated from the sky. He had slept away. He inwardly growled as he realized he missed the girls' meeting to hear what they were planning.

He had inwardly made peace with the challenge, still tempted to teach Inuyasha a lesson, but he had other things to worry about.

 _What are they planning?_

Sesshomaru began mentally planning for this invisible enemy that was this competition.

 _ **Hi everbody! Wow this is long! I didn't realise it was this long! I just got so lost in the story! Thanks for reading and following! Please let me know what you all think! It really helps when I write! :D**_

 _ **Thanks for the review knmangel! YESSSSS! *girlish squeal* Rin and Sesshomaru ( I like to call them RinOmaru) are sooo perfect! XD**_

 _ **But I hope u all enjoyed this loooooooooooong chapter XD**_

 _ **As for what they are planning :3 I will reveal later. And in case anyone gets worried with regards to the effects of the challenge on our Lord, no need to worry, he will be safe ;)**_


	3. Chapter 3- Change

**Chapter 3**

 **Change**

 _ **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA OR ANY OF THE ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**_

 **Rin's POV**

She did not expect him to react the way he did. She knew preferred to maintain his cold facade only responding in his typical "hn". That was the most she had ever heard him talk. For that matter, since he came back he was acting a bit strange… and changed.

 _I know he cares about me… but as to heal my wounds like that! In front of them!_

She shivered as she remembered the intimate contact that had been shared, her fingers tracing the scar that was left behind. Her face turned a slight shade of pink remembering how his hands had snaked around her waist, how he pulled her against him, how she wanted to feel more of him…

Her face, red as a beet now, was open to being read easily, if he was anywhere near her hut, he would have easily scented where her emotions and probably figured out where her thoughts had been…

A squawking noise in the corner of the room startled her. She looked over to the source of the noise.

"Poor Jaken-sama…"

The little toad like demon was squirming in his sleep, no doubt, dreaming of a thrashing he received in the past. Rin definitely admired him, the way he followed her Lord, but sometimes she too wanted to thrash him. Her mind wandered to the incident that led to the poor imp's state of being battered and bruised worse than any injury before…

Sesshomaru and Inuyasha had already been fighting the moment Jaken arrived. Rin was already cleared from the warzone. By the looks of it, Inuyasha was dodging most of the attacks, only taking the chances to merely cut through the air, not even attempting to touch Sesshomaru. Together with Rin and the others, Jaken watched as Ah-Un sat beside Rin, trying to get her attention.

"Stupid Dragon… Trying to get that little human to watch you, she doesn't deserve it" he huffed under his breath, masking his feelings that were similar to the Dragon's. Rin had not noticed their arrival as her soul was completely fixated on the ensuing battle. Sesshomaru's eyes, once red with the green pupils, remained a permanent fixture as he battled on, together with the striped on his cheeks looking more ragged than before. Rin knew what would happen if they continued the fight, he would transform and Inuyasha would be seriously wounded.

"Heh, that Hanyou is no match for Sesshomaru! Get him Lord Sesshomaru! Bite his little head off! That's right!"

"Jaken-sama shut it! They're fighting because of me… I caused this…" Rin replied, the guilt grabbing her heart, twisting it in revenge.

"Don't be conceited you silly child, it's not about you, but milord's honour has been insulted," he huffed at her response.

 _Lord Sesshomaru fighting over her… As if he would meddle in a lowly human affair…_

Jaken continued to cheer his Lord on, throwing unheeded advice thinking he had some choice in the outcome of the fight.

Rin not being able to take it, filled her lungs with air, as much as they could hold and then shouted:

"STOP IT! BOTH OF YOU STOP IT!"

At that instant Sesshomaru had ceased immediately, turning to look at her, Inuyasha mimed him, a few yards away. Sesshomaru's eye returned to their original honey golden colour, regarding her curiously. He could feel the worry and hurt rolling off her in waves. He seemed to have calmed down, with Inuyasha taking the opportunity to interrogate him. Jaken's babbling drowned out their conversation.

"Foolish child! Who do you think you are to command Lord Sesshomaru like that? You little weak hum-"

Just as he was about to complete his sentence, an arrow from heaven shot to the earth, landed on Jaken's head effectively burying him a few feet in the dirt. Inuyasha's mate ran towards where it had landed, followed by Sango and Miroku. Reading the conditions aloud, Jaken managed to struggle out of the hole he was in, looking like an escaped victim of a hunt gone wrong.

"L-o-r-d S-e-s-s-h-o-m-a-r-u…" the words hiccupped out of his mouth, but as the imp continued to struggle towards his Lord, Ah-Un took a step forward and stomped on him, earning a squeal from the imp that was covered with his clawed front paw.

….

Rin's mind flashed to the present where she continued to watch Jaken thrash on the straw mat. She could not bear to wake him because he needed rest. The events of the day unfolded and her mind raced to the conversation she had with Kagome earlier that evening. She had liked the plan, but was worried how the heavenly ordered challenge would affect Sesshomaru. Her Fluffy-sama. She giggled at the name Kagome had secretly given him during their many conversations about him, during the years she spent in the village.

 _I wonder what Lord Sesshomaru would do if he heard that name… he'd probably have a fit in his head and then "hn"..._

She giggled thinking about all the possible reactions he would have to his new name, not realising how far she had wandered from her house. She hardly ever got to spend time like this, alone, looking up at the stars and the moon. She knew the way back easily. She sat cross legged on the grass, then feeling the pull of the earth; she stretched out her legs and lay flat on her back, earning a full view of the stars. She began to sing in a whisper tone, the little song she composed while waiting for Sesshomaru:

 _yama no naka_

 _mori no naka_

 _kaze no naka_

 _yume no naka…_

 _Sesshomaru-sama doko ni iru_

 _Jakken-sama wo shita naete…_

Rin, startled she had forgotten about the imp, shot up from the grass, adjusting her kimono, began to walk briskly towards her house. She had forgotten to arrange for Jaken's meal, to be given to him. She had not expected to be so lost in the beauty of the night. As she continued to walk, focusing on the meal for Jaken, she did not hear the footsteps following her. A hand grabbed her waist and yanked her from the ground, pulling her hard against what felt like silk. Using her skills, she managed to loosen the grip on her waist and landed a kick to what she perceived would be the centre of the thing that held her. She never called for help, but prayed she was not about to be kidnapped. She broke into a run through the forest, following the sounds of the river. She knew the layout of the terrain and with that she reached a hot spring. Whatever demon was following her would have his nostrils filled with her scent effectively blinding him to all others. The footsteps grew louder…

Blessing Kagome for the gift she had given her, she yanked out a rectangular box and pressed a button at the top aiming at the source of the footsteps. She then heard a growl and a tall figure appeared in front of her, its hands clawing at t's face trying to remove the burning sensation that gripped his eyes. She smirked at her victory, managing to do a little victory dance, then broke out into another run heading back home. It was a risk, but she took it. Reaching the clearing she was in before she pushed herself harder. This time she heard the footsteps once again, but she did not expect what happened next. Both their bodies was rolling on the grass, each trying to get control of the other, she closed her eyes trying to muster all her power, when realisation hit her that she was no longer moving.

She felt something glide down her face, it was not unpleasant but it was a strange to get such a feeling when being attacked. Before she knew it, her mouth was being claimed in a rather delicate, yet demanding kiss, as if begging her to give her attacker access to her mouth. It felt rather… nice… her mind flew in circles as various emotions flew through her thoughts. She should be attacking this thing, yet she was practically begging for more kisses. Her mind snapped back to reality as the creature purred her name in her ears, causing her to shiver.

Her eyes flashed open, only to meet golden circles, less than a few centimetres away from her own eyes. The golden eyes darkened as they continued to stare at her, as if waiting for a response…

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 **HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!**

 **Thank you for all the comments :D :D :D keep 'em coming please :) I love to hear from you**

 **knmangel: I completely forgot about Jaken, I was soo caught up in Sesshy that I forgot him! Thank you for reminding me! I hope I got some of Jaken's personality right!**

 **blkrock31: I know it seems uncharacteristic of Sesshy to play by Human rules, but remember he didn't get a chance to reply :3 As for playing by the rules, he has to because the challenge will do things… but that's all I am gonna say :3**

 **To the guest comment: Thanks a million! And they are adorable! And relax! :D**

 **Sorry I took so long to update! I was having writer's block X( I couldn't figure out how to move with the story. But here is chapter 3! Please let me know what you think: review, PM me, Follow! Oh that reminds me: THANK YOU! To everyone who followed the story, commented and made it a favourite:**

 **Areina hime and knmangel, CharmingLove, OfficerShadowcat, incarnadine dreams, maciazaida, zicobabe and blkrock31**

 **Thank you all for your wonderful support! XD XD**

 **Hope you enjoyed it!**


	4. Chapter 4- Fluffy moments?

**Chapter 4**

 **Fluffy-sama and fluffy moments?**

 **Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA NOR ANY OF THE ORIGINAL CHARACTERS**

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Her mind snapped back to reality as she continued to watch those golden orbs glow with a strange emotion…

 _Is he laughing at me?_

Her mind halted at that possibility. She searched the all too familiar face looking to prove her theory right. However being Sesshomaru, his face remained passive, cold and unyielding of any emotion or hint of information that would confirm her theory.

She pushed hard against his chest trying to get him to remove himself off of her. If anyone were to see them now, a scandal would erupt, and she could not bear to tarnish his reputation he worked so hard to achieve. She continued to push harder at his chest, but to no avail, he remained there, hovering over her like a marble statue that did not crush her with its weight.

His eyes remained fixed on hers as he sensed the frustration building in her as she tried to push him away. Uncharacteristically, he let out a chuckle, only audible enough for her to hear, which as expected, caused her to stop her tantrum and look at him quizzically.

 _She must be thinking that she is going crazy… she knows the only time I smile is when I am about to kill someone…_

Taking his left hand that cradled her waist, he slowly slid it up the side of her body, coming to rest behind her shoulders, and then he proceeded to relinquish the contact and set firmly on the earth beside her head. His right hand however, instead of mirroring its counterpart, fixed itself at the curve of her waist, his thumb absently rubbing circles across the light fabric of her obi. It had been a humid night, and with all that running around a few minutes ago, the fabric clung to her, and he had to admit, it definitely peaked his imagination. By then her eyes narrowed in suspicion but he could tell the waves that were coming off her meant that she was pleased. His long silvery hair curtained both their faces from any who might pry into their secret moment.

"Sesshomaru-sama…. what are you doing here? If someone sees us, your reputation will be tarnished…"

He bent his head lower. His lips brushed against her left air, as he trailed light kisses down to the base of her neck, then back up again leaving the trail of a warm whisper of a promise of things to come. She whimpered as he simply remained by her ear, breathing in her scent, no doubt by now, realized that she wanted more. Before speaking he placed a long tender kiss at the back of her neck close to her hairline, sending shivers through her, causing her to tighten her grip on his outer layer.

"Dearest Rin, no one dares approach this area. Not when this Sesshomaru is present. And never think that you would tarnish my character Rin. Nothing is worth more than you…

She gasped as she remembered the story Jaken had once told her, that while perfecting the technique of the Tenseiga, he had been the cause of her life had been lost again. The words he just spoke were very similar to those he whispered to her lifeless form that day. She gazed at him in awe, that a demon that preferred solitude, admitted she was important to him.

However his eyes continued to pierce hers, as his hands continued tracing patters on her waist. She did not wear the full layers of her kimono, just two layers that would be sufficient in a humid night. He thanked his fate that she would be in such an outfit.

He bent his head lower, and then as she opened her mouth to protest his actions, he claimed it. First the kiss was slow, and not seeming to have any rhythm to it. But as both of them became aware of each other, the tension rose as the kiss deepened. He tilted her head to the side, allowing her mouth to be fully claimed. Lightly sliding his tongue over her lower lip, he waited for her to gasp. When she did, he plunged into it, causing her senses to heighten and unwillingly causing her body to arch against his. Taking advantage of the positon he slid his right hand beneath her, holding her in place as he left her mouth, which let out a small cry of disappointment at the touch. He trailed kisses across her jaw, and back to her earlobe, where he lightly nibbled it with his fang, earning a moan from her. The sound sparked a fire in him, so slow that its building heat caused him to moan from exerting control over his cravings.

She could not believe she just made such an erotic sound and that too in front of her lord. Her body was reacting in ways she did not know possible, but she did not mind one bit. A slow fire warmed her from the inside, growing with each touch, kiss and promise of his whispery breath on her skin. Damn her soul to the netherworlds if pleasure led to heaven like this, especially with this man, the one she loved dearly. Her body continued to arch into his, as he trailed kisses at the back of her neck. Holding her in his arms like that, her kimono became loose at the neck, revealing a patch of skin that glowed with the moonlight.

Seeing a new place to explore, he took his attention towards the base of her neck; leaning in further to kiss this new exposed area, causing his body to be pressed against hers in the most intimate way possible. They both shivered as the cold wind ignited the heat in both the lovers. The heat building between them was almost touchable, both bodies burning with a familiar and strange feeling that seemed to shake them at their very core, their souls.

She turned her head to the right, her eyes closed, giving into the pleasure, moaning and unknowingly giving him the permission and her submission to him. His demon growled as he acknowledged it, and continued to kiss her, till he heard her panting, trying to breathe.

This only caused him to continue. He pulled the cloth over her shoulder with the tiny bit of fabric caught between his fangs so that it was exposed, then, lightly nipped ant each exposed patch of skin, his hands holding her in place beneath him. The simple kisses evoked a louder more seductive moan from her, causing his rational side to snap back in control…

Seeing her like that, lying on the grass looking at the stars had been tempting, and before he knew it, he was pursuing her, now this happened. He needed to stop before he marked her. God knows what would happen to them both if he did while the challenge was issued. He could not bear to let anything happen to his Rin…again.

His eyes rested on the girl… no the woman below him. Shoulder exposed, hair wild on the grass, her eyes closed and her face tinged with red. She was the epitome of his desire, and oh he did want her. But he would do it the right way. The proper way. A new determination blossomed in him. He would do this for her.

She opened her eyes slowly, turning to gaze at him, wondering what had just happened. The moment he stopped she knew something was wrong.

She silently looked at him begging him to answer her unspoken questions.

"No Rin you did not do anything to displease this Sesshomaru. I will not take you like this until you are mine. In all ways. I will compete in this ridiculous challenge, only to make you mine in a way that these humans accept."

He helped her up, and allowed her to re-adjust her kimono. He flew to the highest branch settling there, awaiting the approaching dawn and the first day of what the challenge would bring. He watched as she turned away and began walking towards the house. She stopped in mid stride as she whispered, just loud enough for him to hear: "thank you my lord."

His heart swelled at the way the last two words rolled off her lips. He hated to admit it, but after nearly taking her and marking her, he could no longer deny it. He was head over heels for this mortal, and no one will ever take her away from him. No one…

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 **Hey guys sorry I took so long to update, I have some things I have to deal with at the moment. But hope u enjoyed the chapter!**

 **knmangel: Thanks for the comment! I really appreciate it! I am glad you liked the way I put Jaken's character! I wasn't too sure if he would be authentic! I am sorry for the cliff hanger! But I like them to keep the suspense going! I tend to the same with my other story I have going for Jupiter Ascending. XD oopsy? hehheh XD**

 **OfficerShadowcat: *does complete bow* I am soooooo sorrryyy! XD I know how you feel about cliffys too XD hope u enjoy this chapter!**

 **To the Guest: Thanks for commenting! I apologize for the Cliffy! XD**

 **I really appreciate those who liked and favourited the story: Team-EricSookie, blackacess and lenbev50 and AnimeWoman76**

 **THanks for everyone for reading and giving me your support! hope you enjoyed! :) and ofc let me know what you think: Favorite, Pm me, review, follow XD 3**


	5. Chapter 5- Let the games begin

**Chapter 5**

 **Let the games begin! **

**DISCLAIMER: SAME AS BEFORE I DON'T OWN INUYASHA** **:(**

Today was the day that all would start, and hopefully end in Sesshomaru's favour. Hopefully… But something was wrong and he could feel it. Strange enough, he managed to capture a few scents, but those were present in the room he was given to stay. The scent of the straw mat still lingered, and the gentle breeze that wafted through the windows did not carry any scent. This was strange for the youkai lord. Never had he experienced a scentless wind that drifted about. He stretched himself awake…

 _Why are my limbs sore? What the hell is going on with me? What did that half breed do?!_

Sesshomaru stretched his hands in front of him, flexing his wrist, turning it over examining carefully both hands that were stretched before him. His eyes narrowed to that of slits as he realized his claws were gone, his magenta stripes remained yet his hands looked… human…

He tried flexing his two index fingers and middle, trying to get the green whip that usually emerges once he sought it out, yet there was not even the faintest glow of the emerald hue he sought. He got up with his usual speed causing him to miss his step, landing in a pile together with his white fluffy wrap around. The fluffiness of it had taken most of the damage, allowing him to remain unscathed. A slow rumbling noise caught his attention... he looked to the corner, only to be greeted with the little kappa lying in a pathetic heap snoring. But the rattling was coming from elsewhere, a sharp pain surged through his abdomen making him topple over, vanishing as sudden as it had appeared.

 _Was that mine? I ate last night! How?!_

He slowly picked himself up from the heap and proceeded to exit the hut where he took his usual stance to transform into the ball of light that would transport him to his destination.

*crickets chirping in the silence*

He stood there a fraction of second longer still hoping to merge in the light.

*crickets continue to chirp*

He slowly straightened himself looking around to see if anyone had witnessed… whatever it was happened in that moment. He then sprinted off, noticing that his agility was no longer there, making him run at the normal human pace.

 _What have I been reduced to? Is this what they meant by no power? How am I to protect Rin if I can't even help myself?_

Slowly the self-doubt began creeping in. He began devising a plan to make sure that little half breed of a brother would pay for what he had done.

 _Why couldn't he ever keep his mouth shut? That annoying little brat of a hanyou! He will pay for-_

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Sesshomaru! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

A fleet of pebbles came at him, with precise aim. He stopped in his tracks taking in the scene before him. He wanted to turn away, but she was too enticing to avert his gaze. Before him, Rin was waist deep in the spring, her hair loose; covering her chest area but the occasional light breeze would shift and stir the tendrils so that he glimpsed her possessions. There was one water droplet catching his attention that started from her head, then made its way down her face, on her nose, then traced a straight line on her lips and it continued to trail her throat, the valley between her slightly tanned mounds, then straight down to her abdomen and finally merging with the pool.

Her eyes remained fixed on her lord's face watching his eyes follow the drop of water as it slithered down her body. She never missed that his eyes never left it, trailing her body the way the water did, warming her from within with strange new warmth that grew as he watched her more intently. She gasped as his eyes returned to pin her in the pool daring her to move. Something was different about him, but she could not put her finger on it. She sensed a strange aura around him, nothing demonic. She was always able to sense his aura, hence being able to tell his moods, however this time… there was none… He never masked his aura, nor did he find the need to hide it. She closely observed him; save for the missing aura; he still looked like the same youkai that brought her back to life twice. The silvery, wispy hair that fluttered in the wind, the fine line of his nose that fit perfectly proportioned to his lips, not to thin, but not too pouty… perfect for a soft delicate kiss…. his face still had the magenta stripes, his eyes a darker gold. His ears… round…

 _What? Round ears!_

"Sesshomaru-sama! What happened? Why are your ears round?!" Rin balked as she realized he was in shock too….

He reluctantly took his eyes off the bathing beauty and looked at his reflection in the pool. Everything was normal except his ears were that of a human. A sigh escaped his lips as he sat at the water's edge, a look of dejection crossing his face for a mere fraction of a second. Rin knowing his moods and his facial expressions, whenever he showed them, quickly changed into her two layered orange kimono, that was striped with green bamboo patterns, and made her way to him.

"I think that because of the competition your powers were made to be dormant… If I call off this ridiculous thing, it should return…"

"No. You will do no such thing. This will go on as planned. Only you know of this now, the others will know when they notice. I will win you, then no one can take you away from me, and those little humans wouldn't dare stir up trouble of legitimacy for you. But know this Rin, you are mine."

"How will you win then? You have none of your youkai strength, or power…"

"You doubt this Sesshomaru?"

"No, but I am worried for you. If the village was attacked, how would you stop it? You cannot transform into your true form…"

"Years of skills and training will be enough. Enough. Do not doubt me little one."

He pulled her closer bending his head closer to her face, angling hers as he came in for a kiss. The moment was ruined by two things, rustling in the bush and his hunger. Ignoring the rustling, thinking it may be an animal, he proceeded to give Rin his undivided attention, who was peeling with laughter at his humanly gesture.

"Stay here! I'll get you something!" she ordered through the giggles that erupted from her.

Within twenty minutes she had a rabbit roasting over a fire, and had collected some fresh water and herbs to clean and season the meat. This was the first time he had ever tried something human and though the taste was not as delicious as the victory that went with a successful hunt, his hunger seemed to be sated for the moment. As he finished his meal, Rin made announced that she was going to prepare for the first day of the trial, his trial to see if he was capable enough to keep her for eternity.

He knew her lifespan was shorter than his, but if he managed to win given his current predicament, he would do so with dignity and honor, without his power proving that he is capable of taking care of her. He slowly made his way towards the village where he saw the group gathered, with that little worthless human standing there looking smugly as he approached.

 _That little ningen fool, doesn't he know who he is dealing with. If he even thinks about looking at her I will rip his eyeballs out and feed them to Ah-Un._

He continued watching his victim as he approached to group, taking his place directly in front of Hajime, effectively blocking Rin from his view. Inuyasha sniffed the air as Sesshomaru settled in his spot, then balked as he saw his brother's ears. If he did not maintain his image, Inuyasha could have sworn his brother looked human. Sensing the direction of his thoughts, Sesshomaru sent a warning growl in his direction causing Inuyasha to back down.

Rin took her position between the two competitors as the air tensed with anticipation with what was about to happen. Taking a deep breath, Rin slowly smiled and looked at both of them, then proceeded to give information about the tasks with which they were to complete.

"As if this moment, the competition has begun. Both of you, Hajime and Sesshomaru, are to follow my every wish, and every order, you are to do anything I ask of you. Furthermore, I have decided what your first task should be. In order to prove yourselves, you are to show me that you can take care of me."

The little kappa's eyes bulged at the end of her announcement.

"You insolent little girl, do you expect the Great Lord Sesshomaru-" a fist collided with his head, effectively shutting up the demon and burying him in the ground, with his legs squirming in the air. Sesshomaru returned his attention to Rin.

She smiled slightly causing his insides to warm, yet he did not miss Hajime's reaction to her either. He did not need his demon power to tell what that little boy was thinking.

"For the first task, I have decided that you shall cook me a meal. You are to prepare it yourselves, and seek help from no one. The only help I shall provide is the herbs needed to cook it. You have to serve it to me for dinner and explain your choices. That is all."

Sesshomaru watched her cold poker face as she departed the scene her head held high, looking very much like the royalty she deserves to be. At that moment he pictured her in a kimono similar to his, wearing his mark on her neck. That was all the motivation he needed. He looked over to his opponent who did not seem to be flustered. It slowly sank in then, her words and the first challenge. He did not know the first thing about cooking. Rin always did that for herself. He began walking away, only stopping to hear a snippet of the conversation from a few of the villagers. The gist of it being that the boy can cook excellent meals, leaving Sesshomaru to question his ability to really win. Immediately he began calculating what he knew about the boy and what could be done about his predicament. Looking to the sky, he gauged that he had ample time to complete the task; he made his way to the tree where he sat cross-legged, his hands folded, his mind wandering over the possibilities of dinner.

A little memory flashed in his mind as he sat pondering the situation:

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Rin: 12 years.

Sesshomaru looked at the girl in awe, when he told her to go find her own food; he did not expect her to prepare something so lavish. He knew that she would ask him to eat, even though he told her many times that he would not, yet every time she offered. This was one of his visits to the village he did not regret. he got to see how she was growing up and how she was adapting, yet whenever she spent time with him, it was just as the same old, the meals she would prepare herself while he sat by a tree watching curiously the human girl that became so precious to him. This time, she had gathered some fruit, ground them into a paste, added sugar and heated it over the campfire allowing becoming syrup, which she later explained would do well on crackers or bread. She then prepared the fish she had caught, with different herbs and little crystal grains she called salt, he remembered the way she prepared it and how she roasted it over the fire wrapped in a leaf so that the juices would remain in the fish.

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He watched as the little human seemed to gloat in victory, thinking that a Lord would never know how to cook. If circumstances were different, he would have been right in his judgement, but given that Sesshomaru had Rin, nothing would dare come in his way from getting what is his, not even frying a fish!

He could not wait for dinner. He hoped that Rin could not either. A slow smile spread over his face watching the little human gloat.

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 **Thanks everyone for reviewing, following and making it a favourite! Keep 'em coming! I love to read what you all think!**

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 **to the guest reviewer: sorry for making you wait so long! i had some things to deal with and well it's been pretty busy on my half! but yes i dooo know what is going to happen… and so does Rin and Kagome! hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **to the second guest reviewer: sorry for the late update! but hope you enjoyed it! XD**

 **to blackacess: i am glad u liked it! it was my first time writing something like that! if you have any recommendations on how to make it even better especially for the future chapters *hint hint hint* XD please let me know ur any ideas!**

 **to OfficerShadowcat: (i love your name btw!) but yess life can really give you boulders instead of lemons -_- but i am glad you liked this chapter!**

 **To everyone: you all are the most amazing awesomest reviewers followers favoriters ever! thank you for having patience with me and my updates that spazz out for a long time! BTW PLEASE DON'T KILL ME FOR DOING THAT TO SESSHY! X) just remember I love u all! :3 :3**

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	6. Chapter 6- What did she say?

**DISCALIMER: Same as before!**

 **Chapter 6**

 **What did she say?**

No one knew who would win. It was a death match till the end. Either his or that wretched fish! The little kappa stood on the river banks, his mouth hung loose observing the sight before him. Never before had he witnessed such an outrageous act of love and well ridiculousness. His lord, the Lord of the Western Lands, The Sesshomaru, dressed as a poor villager hunting fishes for dinner with his bare hands and failing miserably at that!

Pants rolled up to his knees, sleeves rolled up to the elbows, silvery hair tied with a thin strip of cloth at the base of his neck, magenta stripes on his cheeks highlighted by the shadows of the midday sun, and his aristocratic nose wriggling in despair at each fish that slid out of his grasp. Each time he cursed silently, not willing to let the little green toad demon witness his humiliation and neither Rin. Even though he had his youkai senses muted, he was still able to sense her aura and her presence. He could not pinpoint her exact location but he knew she was there. It was a strange feeling that he knew was never going to go away. Since the first time he had seen her as a grown woman two years ago, the connection he had felt with her had bloomed into something irreplaceable. With their conversation, she seemed to read his mind, answering his unasked questions, understanding him when his concerns remained silent. The warmth always increased his heartbeats, and flooded his entire being with the warmth of the love he felt for her… No, it was more than that. The warmth was Rin, the love he felt could only be described with one word: Rin. The one word that held so many curiosities, the one word that had all the answers.

A new determination bloomed within him as he put forth a vigor to catch that fish! By all means he would catch that fish today! And prepare it just the way he remembered. Rin had watched the entire scene not too far from the river, perched on a tree high above the branches so that she could see imminent danger as well as her Lord. She knew he would be preparing, but she never expected him to be so adamant in catching that fish. Jaken-sama was standing at the bank with his mouth hanging open at the site before him.

 _Poor little guy, it's a good thing he is a youkai, otherwise a heart attack might have finished him with the way Sesshomaru was looking._

And she did not mind that Sesshomaru was looking a bit more dashing than handsome. Strands of silver hair fell over his face as his attempts to catch the fish bore no real victory. She could not help smile at the way the local clothes fit so snug against his body. This is the most she had ever seen of him, exposing skin, save for that one time she had sneaked out in the night to see him train two years ago. She had overheard the conversation with the kappa and decided to sneak out. At fifteen years old, Rin was experiencing things that she had never felt before, she was curious about her Lord in more ways than one, but every time he was near she had grown a shy sixth sense that only seemed to activate when he was around. He had once commented that she should tell Kagome about her symptoms because she looked like she was burning with fever. She silently prayed that he would not notice the changes in her attitude and hoped that her scent had not changed. After having the Talk with Kagome, she realized that her aura and scent would change, and so embarrassment kicked in every time she was around him, knowing that his youkai senses never missed a thing.

Little did she know, that he had already noticed the changes and knew the other human wimps would as well. Since then he kept a watchful eye on those little ningens, if they so much as thought about doing things to her, with her, he would immediately see to it that they would not have any children to continue their lineage.

As Rin observed the scene of Sesshomaru in the water, her thoughts circled around that training

night.

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Flashback: 2 years earlier.

"Jaken, take Ah-Un and return to the palace, I won't be long. I have things to take care of. i will be doing a border patrol near the Bone Eater's Well before I come. Do not wait."

"But my Lord Sesshomaru! It is my duty to stay by your side and fight alongside you! You cannot-"

Jaken's promising long speech was cut short as a fist punched the Kappa's body into the ground causing a deep hole to occupy the middle of the hut.

"Do you not wish to keep your life Jaken?" Sesshomaru murmured in his icy voice, a smile twitching at the corner of his lips.

He knew Rin was watching, so he did not hurt the toad much because despite the constant bickering, he knew both had a soft spot for each other. He straightened himself and swiftly turned around, pausing only a few seconds, giving her time to scurry behind the wall to hide herself. He knew she would be following him, because she had always asked him to take her on a patrol, but he always refused, even though he was impressed with her skills with weapons and hunting. He could not put her in danger, nor would he, but tonight he was curious to see how far she would go. Using his Yokai senses, he scanned the area to assure that there was no immediate threat. he turned into the ball of energy and made his way to the well. He watched her from a distance in the air, running towards the well to get a good place to hide, to no doubt catch him off guard. But he did appreciate the view he received of her long hair flowing in the wind as she ran at full speed, her kimono flapping about her legs, revealing those slender slightly tanned calves that begged to be touched. Before he attacked her right then and there he flew towards the well, giving him a few moments before she reached, a lot of time for a youkai.

Sesshomaru began to practice. Not that he needed it, but he seemed to be perfecting a technique with one of his blades. Hiding in the bushes directly in front of him, she silently observed him, crouching low, so that he would not see her praying that he was too preoccupied to notice her. She could not avert her eyes from the sheer skill and power that exuded his practice. What he did next however, shocked her very core. He began undressing as if the clothes were hampering his refined movement, till finally her was there standing in his pants alone, with sword in hand. She could not help but stare, then realised that she was she quickly covered her eyes, but not before the image was burned in her memory. Preoccupied with her thoughts she did not even hear that he had stopped practicing and was directly standing where she was hiding. He slowly crouched down in front her, blocking her view from everything except him.

"Rin."

Her eyes flew open staring at the golden orbs that pierced her with a steady cold gaze.

"Y-y-y-ess Lord Sess-ssssh-oooma-ruu…."

"Why are you here?" he inched closer.

"Because I…" Gone!

All of her mental strength to remain in control was gone! She remained frozen to the spot as he inched closer, taking the opportunity to etch the details into her mind, of the perfect that crouched before her. There was hardly any room to maneuver, effectively being closed off from the world and closed in between his arms… her face going red with each inch he closed in, till their noses were touching, effectively turning her into a tomato.

A huge splash interrupted her little trip down memory lane

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There in the middle of the river, her lord was sitting, huffing and dripping wet holding three fishes skewered on a long wooden stick. Seeming pleased with his catch he pushed himself up, and made his way to the dry clothes he had set aside, an outfit similar to what he was wearing. Rin averted her eyes and left the scene to fetch the herbs she had promised.

After meeting him and scurrying off to do god knows what, Sesshomaru set off to prepare the fish, the question was… how to cook it to perfection. Rin had always done all the cooking, whereas he preferred to hunt. He had instructed Jaken to build the fire to roast it, then he proceeded to cook the fish as best he remembered, making sure to use the herbs and spices Rin had given him. Silently he gloated at the fish, internally bragging about his victory against them.

The evening slowly crept on them, for that, he was thankful and slowly began to assemble the meal. The berries he remembered, the fish cooked to perfection… maybe... and 2 bamboo water bottles containing fresh cool spring water and the other with freshly squeezed juices from the berries, oranges and a pomegranate. He made his way to the House where a specific place outside was set up. He managed to set up everything, being grateful that no one was there to see him do this. Otherwise his little brat of a brother would constantly remind him of it.

Sesshomaru quickly left to redress in his royal attire, while that little pipsqueak of a human set up his things. He left Jaken and Ah-Un in charge, so that no one would dare touch his side of the things. He emerged from the hut, and saw that everyone had taken their place and were waiting for Rin. As if on cue, she came out from her house, dressed in one of the kimonos he had brought her last year, a light purple covered in gold stripes and bamboo patterns at the bottom that stretched into Red and gold lotuses. Her sleeves were simple golden stripes and dots, while her collar was purely gold and red. She did look like the royalty he wanted her to be, which made his resolve even stronger to win her. That little ningen however made sure to compliment her earning a slight blush from her. But he internally gloated as she never made eye contact with him, and was pleased with the self-restraint he had to not rip his larynx out and feed it to the vultures.

Rin made her way to the tasting part. She first went to Hajime, where she tasted the chicken and stewed vegetables soup and a side of fried fish.

 _So the little wimp decided to cook fish as well. We'll just see how good your fish is then… Rin will not like it... I am sure of it!_

"Hajime, this was delicious, I absolutely loved the fish, it was definitely good. Tasty. Tell me why did you make such an extravagant meal?"

 _What did she say? She loved it?! I will have to see to it that those hands don't come anywhere near her or any more fish! Grrrrrr_

Everyone heard his growling, but said nothing only Inuyasha smirked his cocky bratty smirk at him and made sure that his miko wife heard it too, the latter bursting into giggles.

"I made it because this is the kind of meal you would be eating if you choose me. I wanted to show you what your life would be like, rich and wealth and getting the best of everything," Hajime replied, with a triumphant smirk on his face.

 _I'll show you, I will peel that smile off your face, slowly and painfully little ningen… just wait._

His smile faltered as if he heard Sesshomaru's words.

"Thank you, Hajime."

Rin then proceeded to Sesshomaru's dishes, looking at it, a small smile crept over her face, but she quickly hid it.

"Tell me Lord Sesshomaru, why did you make this?"

Jaken intervened: "My lord does not need to answer such silly questions when you know the answer child! Such an annoying creature you should be grateful our Lord is complying with your silliness and-"

A fist landed right in the middle of his face, knocking him over and silencing his opinion.

"Jaken-sama, you talk too much!" Rin then looked at her lord, waiting for him to reply.

"It is what you would eat. You would be travelling with me, if you were to choose life with me."

His simple response held so many promises that made her want to jump him at that instant and never let go. But she restrained herself and proceeded to eat the meal. Her face blanched at the first two bites of fish. The seasoning was too much, and the fish was a bit overcooked, near burnt. The berries however was good and the mixed juice.

She finally made her way to the center and announced her decision.

"Hajime your food was delicious, Sesshomaru… yours was edible." At that, Hajime burst into a grin so wide that the entire earth could fit in it, and oh did Sesshomaru want to rip his face off.

"But, based on your explanation, Sesshomaru wins this round."

She turned around and left, not looking at either one of the men standing.

"What did she say!?" exclaimed Hajime. "She chose that charred fish over mine! That little…"

Sesshomaru had expected him to head inside for Rin, and he was more than happy to prevent that, his way, but instead the little runt made his way towards him, arms flailing like a child, throwing a tantrum. Before Hajime had a chance to release his strike on Sesshomaru, the youkai lord grabbed his neck and hoisted him in mid-air, causing his limbs to flail about in desperation.

"Pathetic."

Sesshomaru looked at the human with disgust as he muttered the word and flung him halfway across the field, causing Hajime to yelp like a little puppy. Sesshomaru walked away from the scene, a pleased youkai.

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 **Sorry for the long wait guys! But with school and teaching things are craaazeeeeeeeee XD IT's an extra-long chapter because of the long wait!**

 **Special hello and thanks to everyone reading my story! 3**

 **But hope you liked this one as much as the last! Thanks for reading! And thanks for the comments, reviews, and liking and following! Keep them coming! I love to hear from you all 3 You all are the best!**

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 **To fire angel8: thanks!**

 **To Guest: Sorry for making you wait this long! *begs for forgiveness!* Well as for what happened next, now you know heheheheheh :3 :3 XD Aaaaaand ikr! They are soo perfect together! And as for whether he will win or not… let's just say the answer is clear cut :)**

 **To jj: Thanks for calling the human a wimp! I am sooo gonna use that as a next description!**


	7. Chapter 7- Town Meeting

**Discalimer: Same as before!** **:3 :3**

 **Chapter 7**

 **Town meeting**

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Things could not have gone more wrong. The youkai lord had risen extra early, before sunrise that was only a few hours away, in order to do something he had never done: plan a day of together time for him and Rin… But it seemed that the heavens conspired against him and stole her from his grasp as soon as he was about to steal her away in the middle of the night. Accustomed to taking and getting what he wants the youkai lord had slowly crept into Rin's home, careful to not wake her he slowly crouched into a pouncing position in order to scoop her up bridal style so that she would be easier to carry.

She was nowhere under the sheets of her bed. It was empty, sheets strewn, pillows on the floor, her weapons missing…

The irritated dog demon let out a huff of disappointment. He had planned everything perfectly the night before. He would sneak in, take her gently from the bed, carry her to their secret field of flowers, where he would make his intentions and feeling known to her...

 _But noooooooooo she had to leave this early to… where did she go?_

He began sniffing the air in order to catch the scent…

 _Strange indeed… it's faint… her scent has almost dissipated… that means she left earlier than I had anticipated… what could be that urgent… hnh_

He broke off into a run as he caught a stronger scent, but was very disturbed that it ran towards the village rather than an opened field or the well… She had taken her weapons but he could not hear any clashing in the distance… was he too late…

Finally the source of her scent was found and he did not like the image of what was taking place before his eyes. Hajime, that little wimp was sitting next to her, a little closer that Sesshomaru would have liked him to be, and was definitely moving closer towards her. Inuyasha and his wife, Sango and the monk were all walking towards the town elder and the assembled council. Sesshomaru knew there was trouble brewing his cold calculating and negotiating self took over as he approached the empty spot next to Rin, but he did not miss the signal Inuyasha's wife gave to Rin to let her know that he was there. A little flower of happiness bloomed in him as he realized that Rin was expecting him there, and that maybe she wanted him there too. As he took his place beside her, she looked up at him rewarding him with the biggest smile she had given him since they had met, and moved slightly closer to him. The movement was discreet, but was greatly appreciated on both sides.

The leader of the village, took his seat at the entrance to the town hall, and motioned for everyone to sit so that the meeting would begin. Sesshomaru would have remained standing if it were for not Rin's pleading deathly glares for him to behave.

 _ **Impudent girl, how could she think she could control him such despicable actions… MY Lord Sesshomaru would never-**_

The little kappa lost all train of thought as the scene that unfolded before him made him gawk with hatred at the human who controlled his master. Sesshomaru slowly began descending next to Rin, effectively sitting cross-legged, elegantly stuffing his hands in his sleeves silently daring anyone to question his decision to sit. Jaken melted with the humiliation for his lord, but yet a warm spot bloomed in his chest. Reluctant to admit the truth, the little kappa admired the girl's fearlessness when it came to Sesshomaru, and the fact that he had always treated her as best he knew how, because he did not want her to be hurt nor in pain. He would not admit it, but Rin had been like his daughter, and hated to say it aloud, that she was the perfect match for the Lord of the Western Lands.

Everyone had taken their seats and awaited the meeting to begin, Sesshomaru most keen on learning what had awaken his future mate that early.

 _ **A fine trait for a lady of the Western Lands… don't you agree?**_ _Sesshomaru's subconscious noted._

"Hnh." At that Rin turned to watch her lord, she heard him utter his characteristic phrase as if he was in conversation.

 _This is one weeeeeeeiiiiiiiird youkai… that he is…_

 _But you know you love him…._

 _And?_

 _Nothing…_

The little chat she had with herself, had her insides smiling with radiant bliss at the fact that she loved him. She had to control herself, otherwise she would burst into song at that very moment or even skip happily to her house, or run in the field of flowers letting the tall grass caress her skin. But she had to keep her head in the meeting, because trouble was brewing and she knew Sesshomaru was not at his fullest power because of the challenge.

The elder began speaking welcoming everybody and apologizing for disturbing their slumber before the sun's rays peaked out from behind the neighboring mountains.

"My dearest apologies for having caused your troubles this morning, but it is with great urgency I have called this meeting. It has come to light that our slayers, Sango and Rin, have brought some disturbing news from the nearby villages they were sent to protect."

At those words Sesshomaru tightened the grip on his swords, his muscles automatically coiling for action to pounce on the victim. There was another reason his body coiled for action, the unknown danger would have to wait as it was news to him that Rin had been outside the village without his knowledge and she had been slaying demons… He made a mental note to make his feelings known after the meeting for now, he would listen patiently awaiting their little meeting after...

"It seems that another demon has appeared, but he is only stealing the children. They disappear in the night and their parents have no memory of them going out as they are asleep. Rin, Sango… it may be better for you to explain."

Both Rin and Sango thanked the elder and began explaining that the demon in question, used the same lure as the one they had encountered years ago, while Rin was a child. No one noticed the dark shadow that crept over her face save for Sesshomaru. He was the one that had went to save her, but the monk had done his job for him. Rin was his responsibility and he let some mere monk rescue her… It had wounded him knowing that neither Jaken nor Ah-Un could have protected her, yet it reinforced the idea that he was the only one that was capable of protecting yet he failed then. No one had known then, not even Sesshomaru, the growing importance she had in his life.

Rin swallowed as Sango continued to give a description of the demon that they dealt with then. Gathering her wits and courage she began to speak.

"We believe that this demon, or another one similar to him, is going to be attacking our village next. Our children are few, but they are our precious ones, we cannot let this demon hurt them. We must be vigilant… and prepared for anything that attacks us. We think this demon works in disguise, but it is very possible that he works in the night. Like the Demon we faced years ago, from reports of other monks that sought to kill it, it uses the flute to lure the children and to possibly, put the parents into a deeper sleep than normal."

"So then why not search everyone's homes to look for evidence?" Hajime suggested, a ridiculous grin covering his face, beaming proudly at his suggestion. As the Leader of the Village's son, he had some weight in these meetings.

"It will not work," Sesshomaru replied, cutting Hajime's ego to pieces with the incredulous gaze that suggested his idea was too daft to be considered. The poor human slithered into a corner and forever kept his gaze down.

"Sesshomaru-sama is right, Hajime. The demon would expect it."

 _Why is she softening the blow for that little wimp…?_

A growl escaped his lips as he contemplated the idea of just ending the poor ningen's life then and there. He did not deserved his Rin's pity, nor anything of hers.

"From tonight we keep watch, we take turns. We set up a patrol border and keep guards posted, we switch positions every half hour and report to each other so we all know what is going on. Even if it is just an owl hooting, the information must be passed on. I will not let this demon take our children…"

Rin concluded the meeting with that last sentence, the crowd dispersing to prepare with the monk and his wife, Inuyasha and his miko wife. Sesshomaru lingered long enough to see the little swine of a human slowing inching towards Rin who was talking to the elder. She had the ability to inspire, and that would make her a fine leader, and lady of the Western Lands, a true equal to him. Her speech at the end motivated him with a new vigor to protect these unknown human children, but for now, before the night's watch began, he had another issue to take care of.

Before Hajime could take another step closer Sesshomaru sped towards her, apologizing to the elder for the rashness in his movement, picking her up, throwing her over his shoulder, he sped away to his secret place, the field of flowers he would stay in his visits while she was growing up.

He plopped her down on a tuft of grass so that she would not get hurt when he did so. She let out a yelp as he did, rubbing her sore derriere staring at him with a murderous gaze that would have normally sent humans running. Only this particular youkai began laughing very loudly causing the nearby birds to flee in fear of their lives. All pain forgotten and anger bubbled away, she stared at the youkai in front of her, in awe… no... Wonder… no… As if he was some sort of creature carved out of the very fabric of magic that filled the beauty of nature itself. This was the first time she had seen him so… happy?

No… it's more than that… she watched every detail carefully as he peeled in delight. The way his eyes crinkled in the corner, the way his lips peeled back in delight, the light in his eyes… the pure joy emanating from his being.

It was truly infectious, his laughter, and slowly she began to smile. She threw herself on the grass and proceeded to join him, the two sounds blending together to create a harmony only nature and those in love would understand. But his next move left her breathless as he pounced on her stealing a kiss from her open lips, angling himself so that she would not escape him. Effectively pinning her against him, he looked at her with the most sober expression, yet there was a hint of playfulness in his golden eyes.

"Why did you leave the village to go hunting demons? Was it not enough that they come looking for trouble in the village? Why did you not inform me of your little trips outside? Hmmm? Am I not that significant a part in your life Rin?"

He continued to gaze evenly at her, his eyes fixed on hers, above her, never leaving it as he lowered his voice to barely a whisper, but yet it still had the deadly tone she was accustomed to hearing.

"Because it is my job. I knew you would act like this, all protective so I kept quiet. And you do have a big part to play in my life, but you are not the whole life."

The last words stung as he knew it was the truth, but he refused to believe it.

"I am everything to you, and you will accept that"

"I don't deny it Sesshomaru, but listen to me well. Just as you have the Western Lands to take care of, I have these villages to take care of. Not everyone is fortunate to have someone like you being their protector."

With that she mustered all her strength and pushed as hard as she can, so that she can escape him. Managing to achieve her goal, she put some distance to sober herself so that she can tell him how she truly felt.

"You have your responsibilities and I have mine. That does not make you any less significant. Aren't you proud of me that I can stand on my own in battle and not be a burden to you? Can you not see that even though I may never have pure demon blood running in my veins, I can at least not be the cause for you to worry and or be distracted? I can stand my own ground and defend myself without causing you hurt or pain, or worry."

"Rin, I never thought of you as a burden or a duty. You are mine to protect and the only pain I would feel concerning you is if you were lost to me or taken from me again."

The finality of the words sank in as she realized that though the words were not many, their meaning was worth more than any flattery or flirty comment a guy had thrown at her. Mustering her strength he marched over to where he was standing, tiptoed so that she could reach his chin. She grabbed fistfuls of fabric to steady herself and to bring him closer to whisper; "must you always have the last say?"

She pulled him lower and planted a kiss directly on his lips gazing steadily at him, watching his eye grow darker and darker till their color changed entirely to little red circles with green dots in the middle. He snaked his arms around her, pinning her to his body, and lifting her off the ground so that she was his height. He sped towards a tree, never breaking eye contact with her. He rested her on the trunk and slowly began to kiss her lips with a fierce passion that melted her insides. He made his way to her neck and slowly grazed her with a fang, then running his tongue lightly over it to heal the wound. She grabbed a fist of fabric, and shivered as he continued to work his way towards her shoulder, slowly pulling the fabric lower and lower. He gently allowed her to straddle his leg that supported her weight as his hands roamed her sides coming to where the exposed flesh on her chest heaved begging for his touch. Using his nails on his right hand, though like a normal human's, he traced patterns on her skin where the kimono opened in front of him, while he kissed the right side of her shoulder using the left hand to pull back the kimono further exposing the skin on her back. He angled his head so that he had full access to the exposed skin that bared the promise of a sweet surrender. He gently kissed her exposed skin form where the kimono covered to the base of her throat, lightly flicking his tongue over the column of her neck, then slowly making his way across her color bone where he settled for grazing her lightly with his fangs, earning a slow moan that built into a frantic whimper that made the glowing embers spark into little flames.

A cold wind blew over them, making them shiver but the heat that radiated from them slowly began to burn hotter.

"We… should..stop… before.. the heaven's strike you…. with lightning…" Rin whispered in an attempt to ward off her seducer.

"Let them."

Hating to push him away, but she had to. He reluctantly accepted the move, but respected her decision knowing that there will be plenty time for these moments after...

She slid down the tree trunk and sat at the base, on the roots, her hair trailing in the wind. She gathered her kimono to the front in a fistful of fabric to cover what may be exposed, but her shoulders were still left bare, allowing the wind to graze her hyper-sensitive skin. To Sesshomaru she looked divine, a goddess sent for him only. He burned the image in his mind then and there. Later when he returned to the palace, he would have the painting made with this image of her. Only for his eyes to see.

"Sesshomaru, we must get back. The first watch is starting, and I have to tell you about the next part of the competition," she said.

Admitting this was the most practical thing to do, he complied and waited for her to arrange her clothes, but not sorry he got to taste her divinity. He carried her towards the village where she would fulfill her duty as a part of the village guard, he helping her out and awaiting his next task.

One more step to having her as his.


	8. Chapter 8- Rin's Request

Chapter 8- _**DISCLAIMER: SAME AS BEFORE :3**_

Hello everyone! Thank you for waiting soo long!

belle'sdarkangel, Cpsullivan2, Gala Silver, lovespirita, MandyEXOZombie, outreasoned, Soulbow109, WaterPrincess17, . , yaoigirl2000, Green Geni, MichiefManda, Oliviaaaox101, SwammyPenguinDinosaur, awkwardllama, alguo, almalovesmonsters, angelburt84, jellybean1990, SilverGeneral, juvialockser888, kagomelove2

THANK YOU ALL FOR FAVOURITING THIS STORY FOLLOWING IT AND HAVING PATIENCE WITH ME!

Reviews:

Casey525! Sorry I made u wait soo long! X( But thanks for the encouragement!

belle'sdarkangel thank you sooo much!

Thanks a tonne jj :3

AnonGuest0, I am sooo grateful for your pointing out my error! I was rewatching the episodes to get more details and I wrote Tokijin instead of what I had intended to write! But I fixed it! The sword has a bigger role to play later on! Please keep reading and if u see any more errors please let me know!

lovespirita, I try my best! I am really glad you like it so far! Sorry for making you wait soo long! :(

kagomelove2: Thanks for ur review! Hope to hear more from you and hope you like the chapter!

Thanks for everything everyone! Keep the comments coming! I love hearing from you!

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 **Chapter 8**

 **Rin's Request**

A flash of red eyes whisked passed her as she turned in circles trying to figure out from where the demon would attack. Calculating her odds and her escape routes Rin quickly dodged every clawed hand that jabbed at her. The paleness of the hands that sprung from the darkness to capture her, the red eyes as large as the blood moon, the orange hair that fluttered with each movement… there was no doubt that this was the same demon that kidnapped her when she was a child… the memories flooded her mind of that night, when she fell fast asleep beside Jaken, only to be lured by Ongokuki. There was no mistake, Master Ungai did not kill him fully and he was here to take revenge… that was the only logical explanation.

...

The night's watch had gone wrong, she was supposed to patrol the borders with Sango while the others guarded the village, except for one individual in particular. He had refused to let her patrol on her own and insisted he be there, even though she knew he was not at his full strength, it meant a lot knowing that he wanted her safe, and this time verbally admitting it.

Sesshomaru was the first to be alerted, his hearing just as effective as a human's, but his scent had returned, he knew a demon was lurking just beyond the village border. He noticed his sense of smell had returned after he had won the first task with that dreadful fish.

 _ **In order for me to get back to full strength I must be able to beat that little fool,**_ he mused to himself as his youkai mind diverted its attention to the second task that Rin would be giving him. The shouts of Rin calling for Sango and himself jolted him from his mental diversion as he realized he became careless, letting the demon slip into the village, leaving Rin and the monk's mate unprotected.

 _ **You egotistical fool! You cannot function without your full power! You were careless! You let our mate be put in harm's way! Maybe it was a good thing your powers were taken from you, that way you will learn to know what she has to go through everyday being human!**_

His conscience beating him to the pulp for his mistake, Sesshomaru pushed forward to the screams he heard… though they were unconventional painful screams!

"You evil little cockroach! You think you can get the children! You have to go through me first! You stupid little coward of a demon! Hiding and attacking like that! You call yourself a demon? You are nothing but a lowlife! Keh! C'mon out from the darkness you giant good-for-nothing turd! Sesshomaru can kill you with one swipe of his sword! Keh"

All the insults piling on, one after the next, Sesshomaru stood in disbelief at the influence his little brother had had on Rin. The language! He would have to make sure that little hanyou pay for corrupting his precious Rin! Analyzing the scene, a strange fear crept through him, the demon was hiding, using the darkness the trees provided, only letting his arms, eyes and what appeared to be his hair be seen. Something was different, based on the description of the demon and what Rin had explained long ago, the demon did not seem that old. Its movements were agile, and too unpredictable, yet there was a finesse about the attacks, smooth and quick, almost like a soldier, an assassin. This was no ordinary demon, it had training, military training or at least some degree of knowledge of warfare. The movements were fluid, graceful and too accurate to be missing Rin each attack after the next.

The attacks were coming in a circle, first it was wider than usual for a one-to-one combat, Rin was doing her best to not attack and to control herself and her fear. He was proud of her for holding out this long, not letting the fear get to her. Insulting him, he understood was the best way to get a lower demon to come out of hiding, however, this one was doing a pretty good job of maintaining its calm as well. Each swipe of its hands, had Rin jumping, rolling and effectively saving herself from each attack. Again he was impressed at the mastery of her skills, but he made a mental note to test her on a one on one combat.

Sesshomaru sprung into action realizing the aim of the turd, as Rin had put it. The demon was closing in on her, making her area to maneuver limited and closed, essentially cutting her off from any help possible. Because the circle was too small, if she had swung her sword she would deliver a deathblow that would cause her more grief that she getting killed. Timing it perfectly, Sesshomaru leapt in midair allowing himself enough room to grab her hands when she jumped to evade the creature's blows.

 _Curious, it seems my sense of smell is not the only that returned. I wonder….._

Keeping her tightly secured in his left arm, he focused all his power on his right hand, willing the green whip of poison to emerge. A light shimmer began to glow from his fingers, but that was all, nothing ever grew out to kill the creature below. Landing on a branch he set her down, ignoring her protests of him not being up to his full power. He placed himself in the tiny clearing between the trees waiting for the creature to attack, but the silence was overwhelming...it wanted only to harm Rin…

Rin was already on the ground realizing the immediate danger had disappeared. She ran to Sango who was unconscious, checking to make sure she was alive. Happy with her assessment, she called to Sesshomaru to help carry the demon-slayer back to the village. Grudgingly he obliged, picking up the girl, and walking in a human pace towards the village with Rin at his side. The walk was silent, neither of them uttering a word, Rin contemplating the events of the battle while Sesshomaru searched for any signs of wounds, bruising or anything that would need to be healed. All he wanted to do was take her in his arms and shield her from the world, letting nothing harm her, otherwise he would kill everything that even came close to thinking about it. Just then his mind remembered the conversation he had with himself… more of a berating actually.

He had lost his powers to understand what it was like to be human, but what if it was dimmed so that he would be able to learn to protect her without depending in his natural born powers. He would be an equal to her, not just in terms of having no power, but truly one who understood the hardships she faces every day with every decision she makes. Taking that into consideration, he looked at Rin in a different light, admiration was just the beginning. The realization made him look at her fragility as her strength and her human confines as her motivation to push herself to be better.

Quiet in his contemplation, he had not noticed they had reached the village, and was about to enter Miroku's house. Gently setting her down on the bed, he quickly exited and allowed Kagome and Rin to tend to her wounds. Inuyasha met him outside asking for an update on the patrol, Sesshomaru filling him in on the peculiar attack.

"Sounds like Ongokuki all over again… but ain't he supposed to be dead…"

"Hnh"

Just then, the clashing of sword and wood caught their attention. In the open area at the back of the monk's house, there stood the little ningen, panting away with exertion, barely able to hold the sword in his hand. He desperately took a clumsy swing at the scarecrow figure, missing horribly while managing to inflict himself with a wound on his left shoulder. His arms fragile and too thin to be called human, he plunged forward only to topple over bringing the stick figure down with him in a pile of dust, disaster and desperation.

"Since you all left, he's been attempting that. Keh. Worthless turd."

"Pathetic"

With that Sesshomaru left the pathetic sight and wandered over to the fields to sit under a tree to wait for Rin to exit. What seemed like hours, Sesshomaru waited patiently, until the willowy figure of Rin emerged from the house, her head hung low, her shoulder drooping like if she was about to topple over. With the human speed he now possessed, Sesshomaru rushed over to her side in time to catch her as she toppled over. He lifted her in his arms and carried her to her house where he set her down on the bed gently, looking over her to make sure she was not wounded. She was wearing the full slayer outfit, the same he had seen her in the first day. It had scratches but nothing too serious, only a few minor cuts that time would heal within the week. He made a move to head outside to look for the miko, but Rin grabbed his hand, stopping him from leaving, she whispered to take off her armor, it was constricting her breathing and was too tight.

His heart stopped beating that instant. How can he see her like that… while she was unconscious… sure… attacking her senses with lustful passionate kisses that praised his love was one thing, she was aware of his intentions… but she was asleep… would he….

She still gripped his hand, preventing him from leaving. Just then, Kagome walked in, a knowing smirk appeared on her face. Sesshomaru turned to her, and in a quiet voice, softer that she had ever heard, repeated Rin's request. Kagome's eyes balked at the idea and had to mentally admit that the girl was gutsy, because she knew only her undergarments would be below the outfit, and it was not one that hid the feminine body all too well. She remembered that she had given Rin a few such items to wear below her outfit so that she could have moved easier without the traditional ones causing a problem. She had given similar ones to Sango, and Miroku had all but thanked her every minute for doing so.

 _Hmmmm… I wonder what he would say if he saw her like that…_

An evil smirk twisted on her face as she moved to shoo away Sesshomaru so that she can fulfill the request… however the only problem was that Rin was not going to let go on his hand… this was going to be tough… on both of them…

After removing the metal breastplate, she proceeded to unpin the outfit, from the left shoulder to the waist, letting the fabric fall away. Sheepishly looking at him, Kagome began removing the cloth from her shoulders letting the girl's skin show ever so slightly…

Not being able to bear it, Sesshomaru turned his body so that he would not witness the scene about to unfold. The fever rising in him as he fought to control the desire that slowly bloomed in him. True enough he was curious, but he was not a depraved youkai that would stoop so low to look at a woman, an unconscious woman, even though she filled his very being with the very essence of the life she was to him.

"All done," said the miko as she exited the door, leaving them alone once more. He turned around to look at her, not sure what he would find, but quite relieved that the blanket covered her from her neck downwards, only allowing her neck and face to show. Silently, he thanked the miko for saving him from himself. He proceeded to lie next to her, their hands never leaving each other. He wrapped his fluffy around her so that she was very close to him and was kept warm. He slowly drifted to sleep as he listened to rhythm of her heartbeat, slow and steady and precious to him.

The next morning he awoke to find the space next to him empty. Groggily getting up, he wandered outside to see Rin fully awake, bustling about with energy, vibrant and happy. She turned to him flashing him with her radiant smile, his favorite one that stopped his heart every time then made it double its pace. He watched as she made arrangements for what looked like a stage in the middle of the village. Flowers decorated the wooden pillars on the sides, cloth streamed from the middle wrapping around the pillars, shimmering in the breeze.

While the preparations were going on he proceeded to take his usual morning bath in the hot spring nearby. Jaken had left earlier the previous day to go back to the palace. As he was getting ready to come out of the spring, the kappa popped out of the bushes startling the demon, and earning himself a boulder to the head. Understanding his intrusion, he placed the pile of folded clothes next to the very boulder that attacked him, and scurried off. He proceeded to get dressed and headed to the village. Upon reaching, Rin had already taken her place at the center of the stage, with the little ningen beside her. Her eyes widened at the sight of her Lord in the deepest sapphire blue clothes she had ever seen with the inside being a deeper black than the midnight. It had the same design as the white he always wore, but the embroidery on his shoulders and sleeves was done in gold with the center of the flowers in a blood red and white. The band on his waist, a pure white that matched his hair that was flowing like a river effortlessly in the wind, had the design of magenta stripes that matched the ones on his face. His swords tucked neatly into the belt, the black shoes making no noise as he walked towards her, he quietly took his place next to her, never breaking the eye contact. He noticed her flushed face as she took in his appearance, inwardly he smiled at the effect he had on her.

Clearing her voice and regaining her composure she began to speak.

"This is to formally announce the second part of the trial. The stage being set up here is for both of them, Sesshomaru and Hajime. The second task is that they would have to sing two songs that express your true feelings. You have till this evening at six to gather your inspiration and ideas, at seven, the task shall start. Good luck."

With that she left the stage and busied herself with Kagome, who took her away to help with some decorations.

Both Sesshomaru and Hajime were left standing there in shock and confusion as to what should be their plan of action. The ningen scurried off towards his house, whilst the youkai wandered over to the fields...

He had hated the classes his mother subjected him to, often concentrating on training rather than the fine arts… what was he going to do?

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Hope you enjoyed it everyone! Sorry for the Long wait! Just because I love you all so much I'll give you a hint for the next chapter: we get to see Sesshy as a child!

Thanks again everyone! 3


	9. Chapter 9- Childhood

Chapter 9

Okay I know it has taken some time for me to update but here is this chapter plus I released another story on Rin and Sesshomaru, it would be the beginning of a series of misadventures in one shots about their travelling adventures… hope you guys enjoy that one as well! Now on to the story! Thanks for being patient! Love u all loads!

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The spring wind blew gently carrying with it the mild scent of the cherry blossoms and the few wayward petals that rebelled against their siblings that remained on the trees. The gentle breeze lightly lifted the toddler's silvery white hair, gently playing with it and letting it rest at intervals. Getting to his feet, his chubby hands and still baby feet waddled barefooted in the grass of his mother's garden. Jumping now and then trying to catch the falling petals in the wind, the little tot, manages to frolic with nature. The scarlet streaks on his cheeks, the crescent moon on his head, the silvery wisps of hair, the pristine white clothes… all denoted his status as the heir to the western lands, Lord Sesshomaru. His mother sat inside her room, watching her son play in the garden, a small sigh escaping her lips.

"What will become of you my dear child? Will you be like your father? Of will your heart reflect the coldness of the wintry air? Will you stay warm and love all that is life? Or will you turn cold as the frost that come search year? What is your fate little one?"

"His fate is special. He will be what he is meant to be. No one can change their fates, nor change the will of the ones who write it."

InuTaisho silently joined his wife, sitting calmly besides her watching their son play in the spring beauty of the garden.

"My Lord."

"My Lady."

They sat in silence as the sun slowly began to set. Slowly and wordlessly, the Lord of the Western Lands rose and exited not saying a word to his wife.

 _ **There he goes again, to her…**_

"Momma! Momma! Look what i found!"

An excited Sesshomaru bounding up the small flight of three steps towards his mother in full bliss, breaking her thoughts on the whereabouts of her husband tonight. Leaping into her open arms was the most precious thing in her life, her life itself, Sesshomaru. In his little delicate fingers was a full blossom flower that broke away from the rest and floated to the ground, intact. One of a kind.

"It's beautiful my dear one. It is also unique. Remember, the one who is beautiful is rare, and the one who is rare is not easily found. They might come to you when you least expect it, but the beauty they bring into your life would be rare. Cherish that my son."

"Yes momma. I will."

His wide golden eyes, full of joy wonder and innocence gazed up at his mother, lovingly and uninhibited and free of any care in the world. A spark of mischief crossed his innocent gaze, and a small little bubble of laughter erupted from his podgy little belly. Without warning, the little silver haired youkai, transformed into a four legged snow-white pup, the purple crescent moon gracing his head, his eyes remaining golden, not with the blood lust and anger that would one day fill his soul. The magenta marks on his human form contoured to fit his muzzle, his tail swished about with mischievous delight. Crouching down on his front paws, coiling his back legs, he pounced on his mother, nearly knocking over the Lady of the West, finishing his attack with licking her face.

After tucking in her tired pup, who had reverted to his human form, she wandered around the castle, aimlessly trying to will the sleep to overcome her. As fate would have it, her husband returned home from his escapades, slightly humming to himself, proceeded to the bath house, after which he would retire to his chamber. The lady of the west stayed in the shadows watching her husband pass in front of her a few feet away, reeking of the human scent.. Her scent.. She heaved a sigh, spun around and retraced her steps towards her son's room. Snuggling closer to him, she silently let her tears fall as the hurt managed to pierce her heart.

She knew that theirs was a political marriage, yet she had hoped that one day he would have the same feeling for her as she did for him. Yet as the consummation of their marriage proved only to beget an heir, she was never marked completely, only partially to give her the status she married into, never the love and fidelity of a mate. Though their nights are sometimes spent together, she never felt loved, she grieved for the love that that woman felt.

"Momma why are you crying?"

"Nothing you need to worry about my dear. Go back to sleep."

"Okay momma, I love you."

With that little two year old Sesshomaru dozed off again, dreaming about what children dream, he snuggled closer to her, drifting further into the haze of deep sleep.

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Sesshomaru: 12 years.

"Mother what is the need for this?"

"You will see dear."

"Hnh"

Sesshomaru a growing yokai child, wordlessly followed his mother through the halls, refusing to show his curiosity, only the poker face he had spent the last five years perfecting. The mask had fallen into place ever since he had realized his father had not much time for him. Spending his time between the battlefields and the house of the ningen woman, his father rarely visited the palace, only for official business with the other territories' lords and for his training. Yet he was grateful for those few hours on the training field. He managed to see his father spend whatever time he could, but still the presence of his love in Sesshomaru's life was echoing. His mother attempted to fill the vacuum, but he only cared so much. What would be his breaking point, only he would answer that in time to come…

He followed his mother into the music room where she indicated for him to choose an instrument. Not wanting to hurt his mother, but not wanting to spend much time in this frivolous room, he aimlessly let his hand wander over to the wooden flute that was a meter long, yellowish gold with a red band woven into the skin of the flute at the base. An ornate material filled the tiny marks that formed the pattern. It would have been heavy, even for a yokai, but somehow he managed to balance it firmly in one hand.

"Interesting," Said his mother a slight hint of amusement coloring her tone. Letting his facade drop for an instant, he shot his mother a doubtful look, silent, but full of questions, that remained unspoken.

"Come child, let us start."

"What with mother?"

"Your tutorial. There is only so much your father can teach you, but there is much to learn. Becoming the lord of the western lands does not only mean you prove your skills as a warrior and lord in the battlefield. You must be versed in the arts and the finery of being royalty.

"Hnh."

"It may be curious to know that, the very same flute you hold in your hand, is the very same flute your father chose as his talent."

"Be that as it may mother, I will never be like father. Begin the lesson if you will."

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Sesshomaru: 17 years

"Father was it worth it?"

"One day you will understand why, my son."

That was the last Sesshomaru had seen his father. The ningen had given birth to a hanyou pup, and her life was in danger. His father, wounded from the battle, rushed to his mate's safety, and his newborn son. Sesshomaru watched as the house erupted in flames. Slowly turning away, he made his way back to the palace. Waiting for his father to return, he packed his things on the two headed dragon, waiting to say his goodbyes.

But he never got the chance, word reached that his father's corpse reached the palace's main hall. Sesshomaru was now the lord of the Western Lands, and was in charge of the duties as such. Once the succession was finally complete, on his ascension, Sesshomaru made a vow that he would never let his heart rule before his head.

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Present day sesshomaru.

His vow had been broken the minute he laid eyes on Rin. He knew that he would have to protect her, and inexplicable cord bound them, and he knew both felt its tug. Sitting under the tree waiting for Jaken's return with AH-Un with the flute, he slowly came up with the songs he would sing. He never had liked his classes with his mother, but it was because of that he became one of the greatest killing machines in the land. Learning the oneness with nature, stilled his mind, and perfected his killing skills, and moreover becoming more in tuned with the energies around him. For that he was thankful to his mother.

Sesshomaru sat quietly awaiting the time he would be needed to present his gift to Rin. A rare side rarely shown.


	10. Chapter 10- Love and Narcissism?

Chapter 10

DISCLAIMER SAME AS BEFORE

To AnimeWoman76, AmeliaDoloreFan21, thank you for following and making this story a favourite! And most of all for having patience with my untimely postings! To everyone I sincerely apologize for this delay in posting, but I do hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Now on to give credit where it is deserved, CASEY525 you are the most wonderful person you helped my soul out with lyrics! THANK YOU!.

The songs used are a mix of a little

Indian: Hajime's songs: Akhiyan (meaning eyes) sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan from the movie Mirza,

Greek: Thelo na me nioseis by Nikos Vertis

I got the translations from . Soo feel free to go look for the full songs.

HAPPY READING MY LOVELIES!

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Slowly the hours flowed by, time passing leisurely as if it knew the torment that faced Sesshomaru in his heart. He just wanted to get over with this task so he can move on and finally win her hand… legally. Nature had a cruel way of playing and this was her best game yet. Slowly the sun began to sink behind the mountains, painting the sky with slight hues of purples and pinks. The clouds bursting in orange happiness, lined with the anticipating indigo waiting plaster the sky in darkness. Little by little the minutes ran faster and faster, till the time was six. Slowly, little silvery twinkling dots appeared in the navy blue-black sky. Nature seemed quite aware of the feat that was about to take place.

The center of the village was the hype of activity as the stage had literally been set for this grand showdown of musical prowess. Kagome, Sango and their respective husbands had pitched in to help, with Kagome leaving early to help Rin get ready, leaving with a not-too-discreet smirk in Sesshomaru's direction, leaving Sango, Miroku and the hanyou to finish the decorating. The stage was impressive amongst the myriad of colours; the light golds, mild mint greens, and navy blues blended together creating a somewhat similar scene to Sesshomaru's garden in his living quarters in the palace. Flowers were scattered everywhere, bunches strewn across the top of the stage. Roses and lilies of the valleys bunched together lined the area where the competitors were to perform. Lilacs and bleeding hearts hung from the roof, whilst flowers who had spent their lifespan of a few hours showered their white petals onto the stage covering every square inch with a snow-like replica in winter. Torches were placed around the stage and along the pathway to the council hall, where Rin was getting ready to make her entrance.

Finally, Kagome emerged, bringing with her the most beautiful heaven maiden that Sesshomaru had seen. Her hair was done in a simple style; a few strands twisting into an elegant peony shaped flower, while the rest remained loose, to flow freely about her as she walked. The gentle breeze carried her scent to him; a slight tang that tinged of a sweetness that promised to intoxicate but only teased of its power. A hint of rose dipped in dew clung to her clothes and her hair.

 _ **She is everything as we had hoped, is she not?**_

Sesshomaru's inner demon sprung to life, and he could not believe his ears, but it purred in contentment.

 _This Sesshomaru does not make such undignified noises. You will do well to remember._

 _ **Sooner or later we shall see…**_

It had been a while since his full demon had surfaced, with each growing day he had felt more powerful, until tonight, his demon making an appearance meant that his powers were no longer remaining suppressed. A bolt of happiness struck him at the thought.

Returning his attention to Rin, he realized that he would have to express his gratitude to the miko once more. Both Sesshomaru and Rin were dressed exactly the same. A royal blue outer layer covered in white lilies embroidered on the sleeves and hems. Golden petals rising from the lilies creating a movement in the pattern when both moved. The material was a soft silk, with the threads of silver woven into the fabric thereby mimicking the night that was quickly seeping in through the clouds above. For inside layers, Rin's first layer was a silvery white, that gleamed in the new moon's light, mimicking the silvery wisps that was the hair of her beloved. On contrary, his layer was a black like his beloved's hair, with the subtle threads weaving together to make a red hue appear, that matched his trousers, a deeper black than the night, whilst his second layers was a deeper pink than Rin's that peeked out from under the blue colour.

No one seemed to notice the coincidence in dress colours, or was just being polite to not point it out for the sake of giving Hajime a feigned chance of winning her heart. Speaking of said nuisance; the little wimp was already taking his place on stage, gloating that he had won the last task. Rin had moved away from the stairs and chose to sat opposite Sesshomaru, on the assigned seat on the straw mats covered with blankets. Uncharacteristically, she kept her head down, but she managed to sneak a peek every once in a while to find that her beloved Lord of West's gaze was fixed on her. A slight tinge of colour raised from her neck to her cheeks that looked flushed and pink, which wreaked havoc on Sesshomaru's not too polite thoughts.

Beginning his rendition, he formally announced the name of the song he would be performing together with a little narcissism.

"I would like to dedicate these songs to the lovely Rin. Hoping that she would see my true heart and the love it holds for her. During my travels to many countries I had to learn many languages, two of which I would sing in. of course I would translate it into our native tongue so my little love would not be confused…"

Too high on himself, he did not see Rin's eyes rolling in utter annoyance, but the action did not go unnoticed by the one who sat opposite her.

He soon began to enunciate and used his voice to croon. A melody that was both unfamiliar and yet pleasant. In fairness, Rin had to admit the first song was beginning to sound very promising, and little by little she began to feel the nerves of worry spring forth in her body as she hoped Sesshomaru would be better. No. She prayed that he would win this one. The fish was a disaster, but she knew in her heart he had tried. But this was a different task, he did not exude the finesse nor patience for music… or was she judging him too hard? Quietly she sent a prayer to the heavens, whilst Hajime gently crooned his first song whose meaning spoke his eyes:

Oh! Beloved Smiling in my eyes

Oh! Beloved residing in my heart

My life is yours

Before I die I wish to give you my life

I looked at you and my eyes fell in love with you

My eyes were so mesmerized they forgot the whole world

Even God must have fallen in love

As is the condition of fish without water

Such difficult has been my living without you

Long has been my wait, come and take me away with you

Loneliness has dispersed me straw by straw

These long separations from you have taken my life away

Day and night I am restless

Oh! I have turned crazy

Even my pulse has started to stop

The last ray of hope seems to be leaving me too

Even God must have fallen in love

Even God must have fallen in love

As he finished the last chorus, the crowd that had gathered remained silent then slowly a clapping wave erupted, at first one by one then the night's air filled with shouts and cries of praise and happiness at the end of the performance.

Sesshomaru all but wanted to rip out his vocal chords. Rin remained transfixed, her eyes wide, unreadable glistening with hints of tears that threatened to overspill. A slow smile, feral and threatening spread over the ningen's face, his eyes flashed a sickly green and red. Something was different. Sesshomaru sensed a slight shift in the air, his body tensed for an attack but none never came. Yet his senses seemed heightened, he could taste the bloodlust that only surfaced when he was in danger of an attack and when his change into his true yokai form was necessary. Yet the stillness in the air was too much to ignore, his senses remained alert as his eye remained like Rin's; transfixed on Hajime. His posture had changed, his smile once feral a second ago was now the same boyish grin, his eyes were the normal colour of the dead earth; black. Yet Sesshoamru could not shake this uneasiness; looking to Rin, he knew she sensed it too. She looked to him by instinct and habit, acknowledging that something was not right.

She could not shake the feeling that she was almost possessed by the music, and that a strange shift in the air made her senses on hyper alert. She remained quiet waiting for the attack, poised for action if need be.

Hajime continued to gab about his next rendition saying it come from the travels to Greece. He began the opening lines and continued to croon, the very same silence fell on the gathered as they soaked in the performance, their bodies swaying to the simplicity of the music and the potent lyrics:

If only you knew how much I hate the nights,

Because they punish me for losing you

 _ **I can punish you with a lot worse,**_ _Sesshomaru's inner yokai muttered._

I admit that I want to see you

May I never have to go through another night like this

 _ **YOU MAY NEVER HAVE TO GO THROUGH ANOTHER NIGHT AGAIN AFTER I AM DONE WITH YOU WIMP.**_

I want you to feel me

Don't betray me

I want to hear you say that you love me

 _ **HAVE YOU NO RESPECT FOR THE LADY OF THE WEST? YOU WILL DIE NINGEN!**_

I want you to feel me

Don't kill me

Please say that everything that has begun for us isn't over

 _ **IT IS OVER! *GROWLS VICIOUSLY WHILE CONTEMPLATING A SLOW TORTUROUS METHOD TO END HIM***_

If only you knew how many hours I've counted

They're like wounds on my body

 _ **I CAN MAIM YOU BETTER -_-**_

Too many have passed (hours) since I've seen you

And if you don't come, I feel like I'm going to die

 _ **THEN DO IT -_-**_

He repeated the chorus and then ended in a calm note that belied the frenzy of the hate it spurred in the yokai. Sesshomaru practically on the edge of his seat his sword unsheathed a millimeter waiting to attack the human for his loose tongue. Slowly he put his instruments down and got up, his eye never leaving Rin's, he left the stage and took his seat next to Sesshomaru who had replaced his sword for the sake of being dignified.

"I think we all know who is going to win…" Hajime whispered a toothy grin covering his face.

Right then and there Sesshomaru wanted to end his life, but dignified he was.

"My Lord Sesshomaru does not have to grace u with an answer worthless toad. You better watch your tongue when speaking to my Lord. You should be grateful you aren't dead yet! Why I ought to have your head burned alive with my staff… you worthle-"

Hajime knocked the toad demon into the nearby bushes with one swing of his hand, effectively silencing Jaken.

Sesshomaru rose gracefully and made his way to the stage. He would see to it that this ningen learn his place in the hierarchy of the world.

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Hope you all enjoyed it!


	11. Chapter 11- I heard you

CHAPTER 11

Disclaimer same as before ^_^

Sesshomaru's music

Jag Ghoomeya (meaning I have roamed the world) by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan from the movie Sultan. (THIS IS MY FAAAAVOURITE ONE!:) ] translation taken from

And of course CASEY 525 who reworked Rin's song :D and gave me the idea for A thousand years by Christina Perri

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Sesshomaru quietly made his way to the stage, his gaze never faltering from that of Rin's. He gracefully ascended the stairs, slowly taking his stance, not wanting to sit in the same spot that little filthy wimp of a ningen sat. He broke his hypnotic stare, closing his eyes concentrating on the energies that surrounded him. Suddenly a sharp pang of pain hit him square in the chest. Emanating from his left, a deadly black aura surfaced as he tried to control the energies to soothe his mind. Feeling significantly back in control his inner demon quieted, he tried to source the focal point of the dark energy, but just as it had appeared it disappeared.

 _ **Strange is it not… that was not something we foresaw… be careful… mate is watching…**_

 _I know, we cannot let our guard down, things are not what they seem. Protecting these humans are what matters most. Stay alert._

 _ **Hnh.**_

But the aura never made its presence known again.

Calming the air around him, his inner demon following his command, he slowly opened his eyes and refocused them on the centre of the universe. His universe.

Rin gasped at the deep amber colour of Sesshomaru's eyes. Never before had she seen them so calm, yet in control, so dark yet never so bright gold. Mesmerizing was not the perfect word… were there any words to describe the feelings he awakened in her? Except the fact that she felt like warm melting butter on a bed of soft fluffy pancakes floating in a sea of Jell-O that makes you lose all train of thought and just makes you feel all glowingly happy and aslkfafholfnawdkjlkpewoja…

That was Rin, the moment those deep amber eyes rested on hers, a slow blooming warmth that heated her from her toes to her head, pooled in her lower abdomen and made her legs all but jelly.

The white flower petals that had continuously fallen on Hajime, now slowed, with each petal falling at different intervals, giving the effect of snowflakes at the fall of the first snow. Falling at a slower rate, some of the petals landed on his hair blending into the wintry colour, whilst others landed on his royal blue adding splashes of white to the pristine fabric, enhancing the whiteness of his hands, the magenta stripes... all in all he looked like the paintings of heavenly gods, that only the mind's eye can fathom.

All thoughts were fixed on him, and the eyes was focused on her universe, the only one that mattered, the only one that could ever come close to understanding her. He lifted the flute to his lips, slightly parting them and began to blow softly…

 _Oh how lucky that flute is… I can't believe I am jealous of a flute… oh my god look at his fingers move! Oh dear god I think I'm gonna faint... how on earth could he make it look so graceful… that flute is one lucky piece of bamboo…. I wonder if his touch…_

Rin's mind divided into thoughts she did not think she could think, making her blush even more… the scent reaching Sesshomaru, but he gave no sign of the heady intoxication Rin was causing, He continued to play, hoping she would feel the same and understand his lyrics…

 **I didn't find those angelic eyes anyplace**  
 **I didn't find that glowing face anyplace**  
 **Neither I found those heartfelt talks**  
 **Nor that simplicity in her beauty anyplace**

 **I roamed the whole world but I couldn't find anyone like You**

 **I didn't find that romantic laugh anyplace**  
 **I didn't find that pleasing fragrance anyplace**  
 **I didn't witness that colourful style**  
 **I didn't find that lovely innocence anyplace**  
 **Always remain as You are**

 **I roamed the whole world but I couldn't find anyone like You**

 **You're like the first sign of green life drenched in the rainy season**  
 **You're like the redness on the cheeks in the winter season**  
 **You are the tranquility of the nights  
** **You're my tranquility in the nights, You're my prayer of the mornings**  
 **I cradle you in the warmth of my heart**

 **You burn like a fire somewhere**  
 **You are the blessings of the rain**  
 **Sometimes the harmony of your affirmations**  
 **Sometimes the delights of your liberated spirit**  
 **Always remain as You are**

 **I roamed the whole world but I couldn't find anyone like You**

**I want You to be beside me, You have to be by my side**  
 **In my world and in my emotions**

 **A sign of Yours**  
 **I want to show it to the whole world**  
 **You know that even after dying**  
 **I know how to remain faithful to You**  
 **I'll fulfil all my promises  
**  
 **I roamed the whole world but I couldn't find anyone like You**

"Translated from one of the songs of love I heard on my travels throughout Asia. I sung in our language so that everyone would understand it's meaning."

With that, Sesshomaru stood quietly in the centre of the stage waiting for the cue to continue… his next performance would show the purpose he chose the flute instead of any other instrument.

He closed his eyes and concentrated. Waiting.

Waiting for him to continue, Inuyasha sat in silence, his eyes bugging out his head at the sight he just witnessed. Miroku sat in the corner behind his wife muttering about Sesshomaru having better skills at the art making anyone swoon with words, whist his wife sat there, looking confused at the blatant display of affection and love she witnessed. Kagome was wearing her famous smirk that revealed way too much what she was thinking. Her eyes glinting mischievously, flitting from Sesshomaru to Rin.

Rin was completely silent. A first for the little girl he had met once who would not stop talking. Her eyes played with a new emotion that was new to her; her heartbeat was steady, but yet hear breathing was shallow, her face was warm, her hands were shaking, she was not sure if she had any legs to stand on, only feeling that if she tried she would land in a pile of silk and possibly melted on the spot. Her face tickled with the fluttering tresses that surrounded her, making her feel as if he was caressing her softly, willing her to him, to become part of him, to complete the half of soul that stood playing the flute.

The crowd slowly burst into a cheer as they realized that Sesshomaru had somehow managed to make them feel what he felt, the power that Rin had over him, and more importantly how he felt about her.

All Rin could muster at that point was a faint, "Continue My Lord," and that was all he needed, placing the flute to his lips again. He took a deep breath, opened his eyes and looked at her, a deeper colour amber, if possible, was staring back at her. He began playing slowly (A thousand years flute cover).

There was a gentle breeze that began to blow, carrying with it a soft fragrance of the roses and lilacs. The petals that had fallen on the stage slowly began to move, flowing in the direction of the wind, creating a new shower of petals but it seemed to float, twist and flutter to the music of the Lord of the West's tune. Then as if on command, they turned towards Rin, floating towards her, dancing all the way there then showered down on her as his song continued to play. His interjections of his voice, smooth as silk, sweet as honey, enchanting as a spell, and breathtaking as the dawn after a thunderstorm began the second song:

Time stands still  
beauty in all she is  
I will be brave  
I will not let anything  
Take away  
What's standing in front of me  
Every breath,  
Every hour has come to this

One step closer

I have died every day  
Waiting for you  
Darlin' don't be afraid  
I have loved you for a  
Thousand years  
I'll love you for a  
Thousand more

And all along I believed  
I would find you  
Time has brought  
Your heart to me  
I have loved you for a  
Thousand years  
I'll love you for a  
Thousand more

One step closer  
One step closer

(Chorus) 

The petals that was being showered on Rin had ceased and now rose petals were surrounding her, creating a red halo around her body. Now and then, a petal or two would brush her hands, her neck and face, each promising a secret caress from her beloved each carrying a secret message of his touch and desires. The music to his flute reached its peak, causing some leaves around the crowd to stir, a few bolting towards Hajime, producing some miniscule cuts, that only trained yokai eyes would be able to see, a few turning red, graze marks on his hands and his face. He looked like a wrongly sliced tomato earning the guffaws of Inuyasha and Jaken.

Sesshomaru continued to play the flute, making the petals dance even more around her, becoming one with nature, he managed to extract the tiny dew droplets on the roses, and splash it on her neck, the effect causing her temperature to escalate a bit more, at the contact of the soft, liquid on her bare, hot skin. A seduction for ages as she realized he was promising things of the nights to come, without making it verbally obvious. Her face flushed a brighter red than the rose petals that surrounded her.

The petals continued to surround her, but he had stopped playing, his eyes fixed on her he sang these words in a very familiar tune:

 **In the mountain,**

 **In the forest,**

 **In the wind,**

 **In a dream,**

 **This Sesshomaru is where you are,**

 **With Jaken by my side, but you in my heart,**

 **Sesshomaru will always be here my love.**

 **Do not wait alone,**

 **because I am always with you,**

 **stay with me my love.**

He played the flute a few seconds longer in the same tune he had just sung.

Rin bolted to her feet, her eyes wide with surprise…

 _How? How does he know that tune? There is no way he could have heard me that day! What?!_

Her eyes fluttered from Sesshomaru to the ground to her friends gathered, and then to her Lord once more, a pleading look in her eyes for an explanation.

At that point Sesshomaru just smiled.

He smiled.

A genuine pleased smile, as if to say, I know everything about you.

Rin's trance like state was just as astonishing, she had no control over her body, her mind was blank, her eyes were wide with surprise. Before she could control herself, she spoke,

"Sesshomaru wins."

Looking to him, her eyes begged for an explanation, but he was silent as always. But to her surprise, he bent towards her, raising his hand he managed to pluck the petals that stuck to her hair, giving him an excuse to whisper in her ear:

"I heard you."

That was all that was needed. Her eyes filled with tears she plunged into him, hugging him as if he was the very life itself she had inside of her. She gripped him with a fierceness in her eyes that shook his soul to the very core, by extension reaffirming his belief that Rin was his, and perfect for him.

She let go of him in haste, much to his displeasure, and motioned for the crowd to lend her a few more minutes of their time.

"Sesshomaru has won this round, making it a tie. The next round would be the last and most difficult. The last challenge is simple, create a weapon that would suit me. That is the last task."

She walked off suddenly, not looking back and rushing to Kagome's side, instructing her to follow her. Both girls disappeared.

Hajime followed the crowd and went to his own house, muttering about weapons and girls and how to make them.

Sesshomaru on the other hand made his way to the field, with Jaken constantly muttering in tow with Ah-Un, where he calmly spent the night, observing the full moon.

Something strange happened at midnight. His body began to glow, a dull white aura surrounded him as he realized bit by bit, his powers and strength were returning to him…

"Impossible! The competition is not over yet… what is the meaning of this?"

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Hope you all enjoyed it! :D


	12. Chapter 12- Forever

Taraah36: thank you for the review and I love the way you think! But all I am going to say is that maybe it wasn't a deal with a demon :D

KAgomeLove2 thanks for reviewing an di hope you continue to read! I do apologize for the long wait! But the aura he sensed has a some major hints to the plot line so I won't say anything just yet about it, but SEsshy sensed it beforeeeeeeeee he got his full powers back, it was later that night he regained full yokai strength etc sooooo just have a bit of patience with me!

Jj thanks for reviewing!

Azraelknight, I love that you loved it! Keep reading! And posting!

Thanks everyone for having patience with me! Here's the next installment! Hope you all enjoy!

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The change in the air was evident as the tension continued to grow among the council members. Sesshomaru was specially invited since the matter dealt with his lands and the demon that threatened to eradicate all progeny of the present generation of parents. All were worried for their little ones, even the monk and his slayer wife. If they were worried; then things had to be dire. Inuyasha sat close to his miko wife guarding her, almost afraid to lose her again...

Rin sat next to the Lord of the West, as she was representing the demon slayers, a profession Sesshomaru had not taken to with gusto. There were safer options like staying with him in the palace and not having to leave or be in any danger, but knowing his Rin, she would rather give her life than see the people she cared about suffer. Giving, selfless, thoughtful and compassionate; the things he admired most about her.

The demon who had been kidnapping the children had struck again, this time a neighbouring village, fifteen children missing, two of which turned up downstream. Orphans. The monster had taken fifteen orphans, not belonging to anyone, but what it did not factor in, was that they belonged to the village. That village in particular had taken up the responsibility of caring for children who were abandoned at birth or whose parents had died in whatever circumstances. Rin, worked very closely with the village to ensure the children were properly taken care of, and that no ill treatment was meted out on them. It was a particular project only few knew why it meant a lot. Which was why the fire for revenge and the determination to put a stop to this ridiculous rampage of injustice burned ever more brightly in her soul.

Sesshomaru sensed the change in her the night before, when the news had come. Immediately springing into action, she grabbed her sword and other weapons Kagome had given her, dressing in full slayer gear, she rushed out of the house on foot, reaching the clearing by the well in a matter of minutes. It was a miracle that any human could have tracked her, and at that, Sesshomaru was proud. But he managed to find her easily, keeping a distance so that she wouldn't feel crowded.

She stopped dead in the middle of the field, whipped her head around and silently dared him to come out of the bushes.

After a few minutes she spoke calmly, "I know why you are here Sesshomaru, but you cannot stop me. That monster is destroying the hope of a better future… how can I?"

Her tears welled in her eyes, but not one disobeyed her silent will to overflow.

He watched her carefully, waiting for her to make the next move. He half expected her to ignore him once more and dash off towards the village continuing her quest for answers and vengeance. But somehow, he knew she did not want to face the horror of reliving what she had seen in an opposite scene with her parents… She let herself fall to the grassy earth, a soft thud ensuing as her blade dropped from her hand and onto the ground. Within seconds Sesshomaru was with her, wrapping his arms around her for comfort, and warmth. The poor girl shivered with rage, hatred, anger and a cold dread of reliving her memories… without a second thought, he wrapped her more securely in his arms and took to the skies, keeping his humanoid form, all the while Rin kept her head buried in his shoulder and the fluff not wanting to face the world for the moment. Gently he landed on a cliff that was battered by the sea, the waves rushing up towards them, spraying the salty mist around them. The moon was slowly beginning to peak above the horizon, a slow pale yellow puncturing the blackest night. They both sat in silence, Rin, quietly sobbing, Sesshomaru keeping her in his arms, surrounding her with himself, keeping her nestled in the safety of his reach. Silently, they watched as the crescent moon rose higher in the sky, the light spreading slowly in the sky, bathing both in a pale comforting light.

"How did you know this was where I came to gather my thoughts?" Rin quietly asked.

"I did not know it was. Why do you come here?" Sesshoamru replied, not quite pleased with the idea of her being alone, on a cliff, vulnerable to any attack, but remained quiet nonetheless.

A long pause ensued causing Sesshoamru to check if she had nodded off to sleep, but her eyes were still open, a bit puffy from the crying, but still… the only eyes he wanted to look into forever…

With a smile in her voice, she had replied, "I did not come here every day, only on the days of the crescent moon… it reminded me of you, and I never felt alone when I looked at it…. I knew you were there, maybe not in reality, but you were the only constant in my life…"

"I still am."

With that he pulled her closer and both watched the night sky and silently slept in each other's arms.

"Lord Sesshomaru, what do you suggest we do about this demon?" Rin had asked, her tone formal, and businesslike, brought him back form the memory of the previous night.

"Waiting and watching proved to be futile. I would suggest we attack, but there is another way we can trap him… I suggest we open our village to the children, offering them protection. "

"You mean offering them up as live bait? You are proposing a very dangerous and cruel thing Lor-"

"You! Old man! Do not have the means to impose your thoughts on my Lord Sesshomaru. You would be wise to listen to him; he is the only one with a good head on his shoulders…. The rest of you dimwits cannot compare too-"

Thrown out the window by Inuyasha, Jaken was effectively evicted out of the council meeting. The meeting was a very small one, the village head, Rin, Sesshoamru, Kohaku, Inuyasha, his wife, the monk and his wife. The rest of the village was not privy to this information. There was a general consensus that this information must only be shared among those that needed to know.

"Sesshomaru is right. This is plan that will work. And listen old man, it would do good to shaddap and take some advice."

Inuyasha stunned everyone to silence as his acceptance of his brother's plan was a great deal more shocking than the plan itself.

"Keh. Whatchya starin at? It's better we bring it to us rather than us having to sniff him out in his territory," Inuyasha casually replied from his corner seat, his eyes closed.

"I do not like this idea of putting the children in the middle of this. But Inuyasha has a point. Sesshomaru, how do you propose we go about this? How can we keep everyone's attention diverted from the danger and the children safe?" Rin carefully asked, gauging Sesshomaru's emotional change at her initial denial of his plan.

"We host the final task. And a fair for the children."

Silent, the congregation of six watched as Sesshomaru continued to gaze evenly at Rin, waiting for her reply. It was unlikely that Sesshomaru cared about having fun that much.

"It seems plausible, but having a fair would mean having activities to keep the children busy making it a bit hectic. And if this demon does show up, he would most likely be where he can attract the most amount of children, and with that amount of frenzy, kidnapping them would be easy…"

Rin huffed as she spoke that last word, inhaling deeply as she gave her reply.

"Precisely. It will be a frenzy, so he has to make sure the children can hear his call over the noise. The closer he is, the faster we will find him."

Sesshomaru, was a mastermind at planning attacks, waging war and keeping his army safe. Rin did not doubt his abilities as someone to protect, but where these orphans were concerned she wanted what was best for them.

"You have my support," she finally said, giving the council the vote they needed, to implement it.

She was the only one to question Sesshomaru and to finally work out the minor details of the plan. To the final task, she had already decided that it would be where all of them would be easily dispatched in the event the demon does show up. Tomorrow would be the deciding day for many things. A sense of foreboding filled every fiber of her body as she contemplated tomorrow's events walking towards her home that night. Her distracted thoughts were interrupted by whiff of something sweet and… charred?

Always relying on her keen sense of smell, she followed her nose stopping dead in her tracks as the sight that greeted her was all too familiar and yet strange.

Sitting under the tree, Sesshomaru was still as the night, not moving so much as a finger, only a small hint of an upturned smile as she approached him. His swords lay next to him on the grass, Jaken roasting some fishes and mixing berry juices for a drink. Ah-Un peacefully sleeping a little distance from the camp fire.

"Good evening Master Jaken, would you like some help?" Rin genuinely enquired, with a light tone knowing that he would be miffed he had to prepare dinner. Her response was only that of a string of incoherent mutterings and occasional glares from the toad, that made her only want to cuddle him like a baby, just to see his tantrums. She had always saved a spot for him next her, mainly because she had a soft spot for the little toad demon. Leaving Jaken to his musings, she slowly made her was to sit beside Sesshomaru, instantly pulled closer by the fluffy, and kept warm.

Here was a place she knew she would always be safe. Feeling protected, and wanted, respected and free. She discreetly snuggled closer, soaking in the warmth of his body, allowing his scent to fill her mind. Giving herself enough room, she looked at him, as if this was the only chance she would have for a long time to come. Slowly taking in every inch of face, involuntarily, her hand went up to trace the line of his nose, the magenta stripes on his face, his angular jawline, his thin lips, lightly making her way up to his ears. It was then she noticed that they had changed to their original pointy shape. Curiosity getting the better of her, she poked and prodded the pointy part that had reappeared, giggling quietly when it bobbed back into position.

"Amusing am I?"

Without warning, she was flat on her back, his long silvery hair cascading over them, creating a curtain that shut them out form the rest of the world, his golden eyes, pinning her to the spot.

"Maybe, milord" she giggled.

He dipped his head lower and placed a kiss corner of her neck and shoulder, slowly making his way up to her ear, where he proceeded to graze the sensitive skin with his teeth, earning a throaty gasp from her. he made his way back down, slightly parting her collar, gently placing butterfly kisses on her collarbone, making the circuit a few times. Without thinking, her hands flew into his hair, bring him to her lips, kissing him with an urgency, that made his golden eyes turn a darker gold. Letting her take control of the kiss, he pulled her up into a sitting position and held her tightly. He would not take things further, not tonight, he would wait for the proper timing to truly mark her, to mate with her.

Breaking their kiss, she rested her head on his shoulder. Listening to their heartbeats.

"Tomorrow is going to be a difficult day… if he does show up, we would have to defend. I will be fighting tomorrow. I have to. You are my strength, and my weakness. You must not think I cannot defend myself. I will protect you, and I know you will protect me. Be my partner tomorrow."

Sesshomaru contemplated her words. She was no longer the child that hid in caves while he went to fight. She was no longer the little girl that lived in the village while he visited. She was a woman who took care of herself and those she loved. She was the woman that he loved. Pulling her closer, he whispered his response.

"I am yours, in whatever way, and in every way you want. Forever."


	13. Chapter 13-FATE and LOVE

**Disclaimer: same as the ones before I do not own inuyasha, nor any character, only the ones I created.**

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THANK YOU ALLL SOO MUCH FOR THE FOLLOWS THE REVIEWS AND THE LOVE AND MOST OF ALL THE PATIENCE! THIS IS TO OFFICIALLY LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE THE LAST 2 CHAPTERS IN THIS SIDE OF THE STORY! NOW I SAY THIS SIDE BECAUSE IT IS GOING TO CONTINUE JUST WITH A TWIST! I APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCED FOR ANY TWISTS AND HEARTBREAK THAT MIGHT ENSUE FOR THE MOMENT! PLEASE ENJOY THE CHAPTER AND HAVE PATIENCE FOR THE OTHER HALF OF THE STORY! My Love and best wishes to you all! Keep a look out for the next chapter in a few months' time!

Sooo to the final chapter of this era! 3 PART 1

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The atmosphere despite being set up with all pomp and gaiety, was flooded with extreme caution and tense undercurrents. The stage was formally set to have the final part of the competition. Amid all the tents and vendors in the festivities, a cordoned off area was made, where the showdown would happen, there were two planks of wood steaked into the ground supporting a cylindrical stack of hay bound together with reeds from the river. They were going to be the targets for Rin today, hopefully enough to get the adrenalin running in the event she needed to come face to face with her enemy. Sango with all her cheerful announcements finally gave her consent to the eager villagers to gather outside the ring where this spectacle would occur.

All festivities aside, the wind was the only sound that passed through the village, everyone stunned to silence at the sight before them. Hajime was proud to strut forward, brandishing two weapons, one that accompanied the armor, the other wrapped in a red cloth, the latter being of a small state, and oddly shaped. His armor shone brightly in the sun, showing signs of not being used at any moment.

 _Keh, that would be a sight to see. That brat probably never even fought real battle. Ain't no way he would match up to her._ A smug grin spread slowly across Inuyasha's face as he assessed one of Rin's opponents.

Next to enter, was the killing perfection himself. Donned in his traditional white clothes, the only armor he chose was the set of metal spikes that covered his chest and the shoulder pad that joined the back plate and the front. With him, his two swords and a third, that seemed to take the shape of Tokijin, but Inuyahsa and all present, sensed its aura was completely different. It was one sword, yet there were two energies that somehow existed separately, neither good nor evil, but fused together to create the weapon. The crowd shifted uneasily as the sword released sparks of blue energy, then gold, as if it were alive and sensed the oncoming battle.

The final person to enter the arena was the one who would decide the Fate of her beloved. Dressed in an all-black demon hunter outfit, she crossed to the middle where she took her place between her two suitors. Her hair neatly done in a pony-tail, braided and tied at the end swung freely in the wind, her eyes trained on the crowd. A knot formed in stomach as she assessed the crowd. Yes, she was a demon slayer, but still, the uneasiness was not coming from the task that lay ahead but rather what would happen during the festivities. Weighing her options, she opted to get this quickly out of the way and move to protecting the innocence that were put on the line tonight. After a few moments of silence, she took a deep breath and began to speak.

"This is the final task. Their task was to prepare a weapon for me that would suit me. The weapon itself would be judged in two ways, the first being the ability to function and the second in combat. With me. the weapon itself shall decide who shall be the one to claim me as a bride. Firstly, I call on Hajime to present his choice of weapon for me."

With that she took three steps back and allowed Hajime to come facing her directly, a smug grin playing on his face as he unsheathed the cloth. It revealed a small curved scythe looking piece of metal that looked sharpened. The sun now directly overhead gleamed on the blade casting a glare to those who dare to look at it. With a flare and flourish he kneed in front of her, holding the weapon above his head, as if offering it to the goddess of war.

Momentarily aghast by his gesture, Rin slowly approached him, her eyes on the weapon. Picking it up she realized that this was like Kohaku's scythe but lighter and thinner, and very much smaller. The size was comfortable, a decent fit she surmised. She motioned for everyone to stand back as she unleashed the weapon on the scare crow dummies in the middle of the area. With one slash, it sliced the head off but not cleanly enough. The beauty of it shone as it swiveled around to return to her hand, the blade singing sweetly as it zipped through the air. The next part of the test was the true part. She motioned for Hajime to approach her in the centre of ring, only being separated by a few feet.

 _ **It would serve him right to dies by the hands of our Lady, no master?**_

 _I see you have resurfaced_

 _ **Missed me?**_

 _We'll see. But she is a fine warrior. For her sake and the head of the village let's hope she does not kill him. But… one can't be sure, now can we?_

 _ **My master is wise. Our Lady knows what she must do. A fine wife of a general don't you say?**_

 _Hnnh_

With that, Seshommaru concluded his little chat with his inner yokai, focusing on his attention on the battle that was heating up.

Rin beckoned Hajime to strike first. Taking the invitation, he haphazardly lunged at her with his sword, thrusting forward with too much power. The result was all but serious, the first in line to become the village leader, lay flat on the ground his face buried in dirt, while Rin stifled her giggles trying to assist him to his feet.

"Why don't you take off the armor? I won't damage you human," Rin jeered. Obliging, he took off the armor. Subsequently his movements became less hampered and somewhat more fluid. There was something off about his movement. At times his body became a blur, a blue blur to be specific, and still the dark aura Sesshomaru had seen slowly began to appear. His movements were too agile to be an inexperienced youngling. He managed to dodge every strike of Rin's his trusts were more confident and his parries proved that he could have made a fine warrior in Sesshomaru's army.

A blade snapped. Metal clanked to the ground and Hajime was on the ground, Rin's foot on top of his chest. Panting hard, she looked down to hear weapon that lay broken and smashed on the ground. She had managed to defeat him, but he failed in his task. The weapon did not survive.

"It was too thin and light to withstand constant battle. It was well made, but not good enough," her assessment was on the spot as she helped him up to his feet. Muttering something about Sesshomaru's weapon not being able to compare, he stalked off the field and made his way to his house.

"Sesshomaru, after a respite of 10 minutes we shall resume with your weapon."

Graciously, the Lord of the West bowed at her order, and left the field without a word. Rin stalked off in the opposite direction, avoiding the same place Sesshomaru would be. She had asked for the ten minutes because she had to mentally prepare herself to battle the young Lord. She would not have any distractions.

The said young Lord on the other hand, strolled about, an air of calm exuding from his person. Taking in the booths that sold various items, from fabric to gemstones and food, he stopped at one stall that had only charms. Looking through the collection he selected a purple jade amulet with the symbols for love and fate on inscribed on both sides. He bought the pendant and chord and asked it to be packaged for a present. As he was about to walk out, the stall keeper called out to him.

"My Lord Sesshomaru, Rin had asked to give this to you. As a present."

Taking out a silver pouch, she gave it to him. Thanking her he wandered off to the nearby well, where he sat in the shade of the tree. Opening the pouch, he pulled out the very same amulet that he had just bought for Rin, the only difference being that his was the color of the moon with the symbols inscribed in red, and hers was the purple jade with the letters etched in white. He dashed off to find Rin, asking Inuyasha's mate if she had gone to the house, but knowing she would not want to be distracted, he entered and left the gift with a note, hoping she would find it before their duel.

Attaching his gift to his armor, he tucked it away inside, and made his way to the arena. Rin was already there waiting for him. Anxiety, worry and relief washed over her and assaulted him. He knew she was worried for the events later, especially for the children.

With less flourish than the ningen, Sesshomaru simply held the sword with both hands towards her, waiting patiently for her to take it. The length of the blade looked domineering, longer than anything she had handled in her career as a demon hunter, yet she steeled herself not allowing herself to doubt the reason Sesshomaru would even craft such a blade for her. With utmost caution, she took the sword, her eyes bugging in surprise at the light feel of it, as if it was just a twig. Sesshoamru fought hard to hide his smile at her reaction. Unsheathing it, the bade glowed of the two colors, gold and blue. Then it adjusted to fit her hand and reduced its shape to one quarter shorter of its original length. The blade slowly hummed as it accepted a new owner and a jolt of lightning sparked at its tip, running down the blade and into Rin's body. There was a connection at that moment between master and sword, the blade claiming its owner. Rin looked questioningly at Sesshomaru but he continued to stare at her, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips.

Moving to the centre of the field to the other steaked hay, she swung the blade artistically over her head and brought it down with a force that belied her lithe frame. At first she thought the sword had done no damage as the hay remained intact. However, after the singing of the blade had stopped echoing, the stack of hay and the wood that held it upright, fell on either side, a dark scar and the smell of burned grass tinging the air. She slowly turned to Sesshomaru and grinned.

"Come at me." she said, knowing that she did not need to shout.

The speed at which he came at her was incredible, slow but incredible. He slowed his pace to match hers so that it would be a fair fight.

"Keh. Don't slow yourself down on my account dearest." She said knowing what he would be thinking.

Smiling widely, he increased to his normal speed, approaching her within seconds, sword in hand ready to thrust forward. She remained rooted, waiting for him to come closer, still grinning, the battle lust slowly creeping into her eyes. He had finally reached her, raising his sword to attack from above, without a wink, she simply moved her hand upwards and held steady her new weapon. Never breaking eye contact, she pushed him with all her strength, then broke out into a run with him easily matching pace. There was a stillness in the air as they raced each other. Suddenly, Rin changed her direction and broke for the left, circled back and was now lunging forward to attack him from behind. With ease, he spun around grabbing her by the waist effectively locking her to his right side. Sniffing the adrenalin and giddy feeling on her, he whispered something in her ear. A tomato colored blush bloomed on her face, her eyes bugging at the revelation of his intent when he made her his.

Pushing with all her might he broke free from his grip and skidded to a halt. She waited for him, knowing that he would take the bait and circle back to where she stood. Sword at her side, she waited for the right moment. Just as he was within striking distance, she leaped into the air, somersaulting twice before landing on his shoulders, standing upright as if she was standing on the flat earth. He tried to make a grab for her ankles, but she jumped again, this time Sesshomaru followed suit, reaching up to her within seconds. Mustering all her strength, she swiveled in mid-air, extending her arm outwards so that the blade cuts anything in its path.

"You are a dangerous woman! You have won more than my heart! You have won my entire being over!" Sesshomaru declared.

"Only 'coz you're biased milord. Now fight me like you would the enemy," she requested ardently.

With that she landed on the ground with a soft thud with him following just behind.

Both broke into a run once more, this time, Rin purposely slowed her pace making him curious as to what she planned next. Thrusting her sword at him while she moved, was something he had not expected, but he blocked everyone nonetheless.

She sped up, overtaking him, swerving to cut off his path, she swiveled with the blade once more, catching him off-guard at close range, making him skid to a stop. She pushed forward before he had time to adjust and lunged at him, brandishing the sword at her opponent's chest armor, effectively cracking it, destroying it to pieces. His eyes widened in shock. Taking advantage of the momentary lapse in defense, she lunged on him, sheathing the sword, and knocking him to the ground. Straddling him, she declared she had won.

"Maybe you shouldn't have bought the charm for me milord." Dipping her hand inside her tunic, she pulled out the purple jade pendant.

"Lucky thing for me, you protected me as well," he confessed, fishing inside for his amulet.

Getting up, she offered a hand he graciously took, and turned to face the crowd that was stunned to silence. The Yokai Lord had been defeated.

"The blade has survived and destroyed yokai blacksmith's creation, (gesturing to the broken armor), the blade has served its purpose. The winner of the final challenge is Sesshomaru. He therefore wins this competition and—"

Her sentence was cut short by the arrow being shot from the heavens, through te golden clouds that now decorated the sky, containing a message to which Inuyasha confirmed what Rin had said. A cheer erupted from the crowd as flowers began to drift in the wind, surrounding the soon-to-be wedded couple. The music started back, and the frolicking restarted. A double celebration, and end to the competition and a wedding to be planned.

Sneaking off to their spot near the well, Rin asked Sesshomaru what the sword was made of. He pulled her closer and leaped up into a nearby branch where he sat her down in front of him, holding her snug in his arms.

"I had it made a while ago, it has my fang together with a strand of your hair. It has both our energies flowing in it. I suspect when you had announced that was the final task, my full powers came back because I already had won, because I made something that was created by both of us for you. So, wherever you go I will always be with you. Protecting you."

"That's very thoughtful of you Sesshomaru. Thank you for today, for treating me like that in the battle."

Without saying anything, he pulled her closer and both listened to each other's heartbeats amidst the music that flowed from the village. Time passed slowly it seemed, but not before a bone-chilling scream pierced through the music. Without thought, he scooped her up and flew towards the village.

The scene of carnage that lay there was devastating. Houses were burning. Stalls were overturned. Food was strewed. Crushed grass and crumpled cloth lay in disarray. Smoke billowed into the sky, darkness covering the last bit of light that had managed to escape. Amidst it all, the group of family and friends huddle around two humans crying and wailing and trying to come to terms with something. Rin stared in shock as the horror slowly seeped into her heart. Sango was crying, Miroku trying to comfort her. The thing had taken her youngest.

Without waiting for the others, Rin broke off into a sprint, her obly weapons were the ones Seshhomaru had made and her tracking sense keen to any subtle differences that would lead her to the monster. Sesshomaru was right behind her, silently comforting her, and giving her the strength to move forward to complete the hunt…

Sesshomaru stopped dead in his tracks. Rin had disappeared before his eyes. He still caught her scent. It was not moving, it was stationary, he stopped, following her scent, tracking her by only that.

 _ **Where did she go?**_

His eyes instantly turned a bloodshot red, the pupils turning green. No one can harm her. No one will…


	14. Chapter 14- Promise me

To everyone who stood by this Fanfiction thank you! I love you all! Hope u enjoy this and wait for the continuation that should be coming up later this month!

With lots of love and best wishes, I leave you with the final chapter of Anything for Rin :D

I look forward to writing the next part of the story, and you all leaving your comments!

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Sesshomaru stood there, watching the flames from Rin's fiery grave touch the skies. Feeling a sense of loss, helplessness, but most of all, the void that was left knowing that Rin was no longer in his life. She had been poisoned in her final battle. Sesshomaru dispatched the yokai with the severity and mercilessness reserved only for those that required the Lord of the West to personally mete out justice for ills unspeakable. The flames leapt higher into the sky, blocking everything from view. Everyone had gathered to bid her farewell, Sesshomaru had requested the duty of the final send off, to personally light her pyre.

She had been dressed as the Lady of the West, the white robes matching his, the red lotus embroidered on the bottom blending into the hem of her kimono. As a special request, her sleeves did not have the usual lotus like his, but rather his magenta stripes and the crescent moon that adorned his forehead. Her hair was braided and twisted elegantly on her head, crowned with white jasmines, and placed in her hands, white and red lilies. With the monster inside him howling in grief at the loss of his lifemate, the fires began to blaze, the wood snapping, breaking the memory of her before she entered the journey of the afterlife.

This time he could not save her, this time he could not seek out her soul in the underworld, this time his sword could not revive her, this time his mother would not recue her, this time…. He had to let go.

The crowd slowly dispersed, the sobbing fading away. All left apart from her lifemate. He sat on the bare earth, watching the once raging fires quell their thirst for the sky, reducing itself to mere embers on the ground, nothing remained but ash.

A slow wind began to drift toward him, a familiar melody filled the air. At once he bolted upright, his ears seeking the sound.

Shifting into his yokai form, he followed ceaselessly, tracking the source of the melody.

He reached the place where he did not want to revisit, the lace where he lost it all. The life of his life, the soul of his soul. The place where all was snatched from the Lord of the West.

FLASHBACK TO THE DAY OF THE FIGHT: 1 DAY EARLIER

Rin had completely vanished in thin air. No trace of her remained on the physical earth on which Sesshomaru stood. But he still felt her near him, her scent was stronger, as if she was right next to him. Once she had been able to hide from him, during one of their training sessions. Following his instinct, he dropped to the ground, closed his eyes, concentrating on the vibrations her feet created in the earth.

Rin continued to pace, remembering the very same training session with her lord. The only difference, her hiding was voluntary. Something had cut her off from her family, her friends. Creating a specific pattern of steps that would alert him to her presence, she tapped her foot three times, then dragged her left, then twice more rapped the earth with her left and scraped a longer line on the earth with her right.

Instantly recognizing the pattern Sesshomaru recognized her to be at least two meters ahead of him, in the clearing that would lead to the Bone Eaters Well. Summoning his yokai, he half transformed; his ears shaping like that of the dog, his fangs grew larger and his eyes longer, the white being replaced by the menacing red and the vicious green pupils. His hands began to cover in the white fur, whilst his nails grew longer. His most dangerous form, neither humanoid, nor yokai. Existing between two worlds, harnessing the power of both. Seeing through the enchantment the creature had created, he found Rin, standing still, facing directly at the monster that had killed so many innocents.

The monster had emerged from the hiding spot in the trees, facing Rin directly. History flashed in her mind to the time when she was kidnapped by the yokai Ongokuki, the very same demon stared at her, his gaze never faltering.

"My, my, how history faces you today child… don't worry I am not the one that stole you from your lord. I am much worse." A hissing sound escaped his lips, the words seeping out like a dreaded song that paralyzed with fear. Rin stood motionless, her eyes filling with the memory.

"Oh divinity, please protect Lord Sesshomaru," she whispered a plea.

"Your precious lover would not come this time. I have hidden you from the world, I will have my revenge. You refuse to acknowledge me and my identity. Are you not curious ningen as to who I am?"

"What crap are you spilling out? If he comes or if he doesn't, one of us will kill you today. And why should I be concerned as to your identity? You are a murderer. That is all I need to know."

The thing burst into laughter, a peel of shrieking delight filled the air.

Approaching her, the yokai was within striking distance, feeling the rush of energy, she knew Sesshomaru was listening intently, keeping quiet waiting for the right time to attack.

"My precious Rin," it hissed, "it pains me to see you do not care me as much as I did for you. You were to be my wife, if that meddling Lord did not intervene."

A pale blue hand raised up to face, gently caressing it, lingering longer on her lips, then to her throat. Squeezing the air out her, the demon pressed harder until the veins started to turn colour on her face. Managing to gather her remainder strength, she brought down her head and smashed his face with hers, effectively breaking the enchantment on her, giving her time to move. No knowing if Sesshomaru would hear her, she whispered nonetheless, "I move to the right, you to the left, we finish this thing for once and for all."

Taking that as his cue, he tracked her every footstep, mimicking her attack plan. Rushing forward, they both turned into a spin, leapt in the air and brought their swords down to the centre. There was a clanging of swords as both met, cutting through the air, connecting with each other, but missing their target. The veil had lifted and both saw each other. The air rushed out of her lungs as she collapsed in relief that she could see again.

"Thank you for being safe," she whispered to him.

Rushing to her side, she caught her before she hit the hard earth. Embracing her, he whispered his relief at seeing her, feeling her, at finding her.

Just then, an arrow zinged through the air and hit the trunk of the oak just above her head. Sesshomaru looked up to see Hajime grinning his idiotic smile.

Picking Rin up from the nearby trees, he moved them both further into the clearing, giving him the advantage of transforming fully, ready to battle the monster that dare to attack his beloved and the things she cared about most.

Hajime leisurely strolled into the clearing his bow and arrow carelessly flung in a corner. The black aura had once again surrounded him, swirling and contorting to his body, yet never touching his skin.

"You look surprised. I thought you would have figured it out by now. Seems your hunter training needs a bit of tweaking no? Pity you could not have seen through it." A leering smile directed at Rin for her confusion, and a sardonic one to the demon dog.

"You're the monster." Rin stated a small smile escaping her lips as she moved further from the protection of her Lord, to stand in front of him. Sesshomaru huffed in annoyance at her move, but remained silent nonetheless.

"I saw the aura around you for the competition you lil twit. And purposely excluded you from the meeting. I ain't that much of hunter, but I know my strategies you dumbass," hauling her sword over her shoulder, she grinned widely, first at Hajime, then at Sesshomaru, to whom she winked not too discreetly.

His eyes already bugged out at the use of the coarse language, then at the fact at the wink. Shaking his head, he managed a huff but somehow his face was smiling. A happy pup no doubt. ;)

"I see, seems I have underestimated you a bit."

"Keh, serves you right. But why? What did those children ever do to you?"

"Nothing. But that's the best part. Remember those years ago, when you were lured by that demon?"

"He was your father…" the final words died on her lips as she realized the gravity of the situation all those years ago... That yokai never wanted anything but to keep his family alive, who knew what he went through… for his family… she suddenly saw the other side of that day, was his father forced to do those things just to keep his family alive? Or was it a way of protecting them?

Sesshomaru remained silent, the realization dawned on him slowly, as he himself felt pity towards the orphaned yokai…

"Matters not petty ningen, I shall have my fun."

A slow smile spread across his face as the aura around him disappeared, his skin shifting and phasing into the blue of his father.

"My father played the flute. But I wield the sword."

His red tongue slipped out to lick the blade, as if he was threatening them with the fierce blade, then slowly placing it in front of them, holding it steady, and then crouching, his eyes never leaving Rin.

"Come at me sucker." With a fierce grin, she lunged forward.

Surging to the side, she whizzed the blade past his ear, forcing him to stand up, jumping to the right. Sesshomaru took to the air, giving her the space she needed to complete the pirouettes and somersaults. Should she need him, he only had to dive down.

Something shimmered in her sword, a surge of lightening, the colour of his poisonous whip surged forward, coiling itself around the blade and covering her in an aura. Smiling at the wonderful gift Sesshomaru had given her, she lunged forward, then twisted the sword like a whip allowing her to earn her opponent to earn his first battle wound. Laughing she darted to the side, abruptly changing direction, lunging towards him, but she was too slow.

The demon was already a few feet in the air, spinning as she had done. Attempting to escape, she skidded to a halt, and then broke into a backwards sprint, her eyes never leaving her opponent. Then the unthinkable happened, he split his image into three, surrounding her, each spinning with a fierce whoosh of his blade. The only way she could have counteracted was start a spinning of her own to protect herself, but she started too late, she was already surrounded by his clones. Sesshomaru darted to the scene with calculated precision, but it was for naught. His beloved lifemate was stabbed in the side by the real yokai, the sword going through her sides. The demon pulled it out and stuck once more, his blade cutting her arms. The cutting of flesh and her gasping for air, drove the Lord of the West insane with the fire of anger.

The yokai was about to strike Rin once more, but Sesshomaru landed on him. Ripping the sword out his hand with his muzzle, the hand following. Limb from limb, tendons tearing, bones snapping, blood gushing, Sesshomaru showed no mercy. Leaving the demon writhing in pain and limbless, he watched him carefully as he shifted to his humanoid form. His eyes were still the bloodlust red, a colour that consumed every fiber of his being, every fiber that wanted to make this yokai's blood drain and soak the earth. A sharp frustrated howl escaped his lips as the tormented demon inside him lunged forward. Stabbing the yokai in the heart, he broke the bones as his hands curled around his heart, forcefully ripping it out from the chess cavity. Crushing the still soft organ, he ripped it apart, the yokai going limp, the light in his eyes leaving the moment the heart was ripped out. Sesshomaru, took Rin's sword then, calling on the elements that were melded into it on its creation. He slammed the sword down in the middle of the demon's chest, setting the corpse ablaze. The burning flesh, the black smoke that it emitted and the foul stench was enough to signal his location to the monk and his hanyou brother.

Without thought, he gathered Rin in his arms, she was coughing up blood, but there to save her. All he had to do was mark her, and let his blood flow through her.

Something was wrong. Her skin was sickly purple. The veins on her body emitted a fierce red glow. Her coughing began to get even more violent. Holding her as close as his body would let hi, he cradled the dying love of his life. The yokai poisoned her and it had already spread. Her heart was pumping the poison to all parts. All he could do was comfort her. he did not care who were the spectators, he slowly bent his head towards hers, and gently kissed her.

Her eyes flew open, tears streaming down the side of her cheeks. Using her remaining strength, she cradled his face in her hand.

"Promise me, you will not go down the path of darkness. Believe I will come back to you. Do not hate. Do not give up. You are my strength, you are my will. You are my light and you are my fate. My love."

"To you, who means more than my life, my fate is yours. I promise you, I shall wait. The path of darkness will not be the one I choose. I will follow your light, and live by your virtue. You are my fate, my strength and soul."

Her body went cold. Her chest stopped heaving. Her eyes were no longer bright. Her hands fell limp at her side. The blood stopped flowing. Her heart stopped beating.

A howl escaped Sesshomaru's lips as tears flowed form his now golden eyes. Weeping for the loss he sat in the middle of the field rocking her limp body back and forth. Inuyasha approached him then, his hand went hesitantly to his shoulder. His older brother looked up to him, his tear stained face asking his brother the unanswered question of how to deal with grief and loss.

"We have to burn her. The poison is seeping to the earth killing the life around it."

Seshsomaru looked to his brother as if he did not understand, then down to the body, around it the grass was turning black and wilting into blobs of muck. Understanding the need for it, he reluctantly raised his body, carrying hers into the village.

The silence that surrounded him was eerie, the villagers was stunned into shock. Their beloved girl was gone. The life of their village was gone. As Sesshomaru strode towards centre of the village, hysterical sobs and wailing broke out.

As quickly as possible, a pyre was set up, so that the body would be burned. He carried her to her house where he instructed Kagome and Sango to dress her as his bride. Within the hour, she was atop the pyre, the holy fire lit by Kagome burned to the skies.

~~~~~~~~~~ **A warm hand atop his shoulder snapped him out of the memory** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Looking down at him was Rin, in her final bridal wear, she looked down on him, a sweet smile playing on her face.

"My dearest Lord of the West. Do not mourn for me. having your love has made me stronger. It will only be a matter of time till I will be with you. Be your best. Do not avenge me. I died doing what I was born to do. The divinity has blessed us. Believe I will come back to you. Remember: In the mountains, in the breeze, in the sky and in my dreams Lord Sesshomaru where are you? Jaken is serving under you too I will wait for you on my own, please return to me Waiting all alone…"

"Rin…"

The melody he had heard before was her calling to him. She slowly disappeared, but the music remained in the air. His heart ached to have her disappear from him his life again. The pain still raw, te anger still fresh, and the emptiness consuming him.

He would wait, when the divinity deemed it fit. He turned towards the village and made his way, his heart heavy but his soul hopeful.

"I will see you again my dearest."


	15. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

 **TORONTO, CANADA**

There was something in the air as Mr. Taisho strode towards his building. The Canadian air in winter offered some solace to him, reminding him of the winters back home in Japan. Today was feeling different. There was a strange scent of anticipation in the air as he entered his office, the very top floor in the high rise building in the business district of Toronto. Today was the day for interviews, for a new designer in the publishing branch of his company.

Mr. Taisho, was for a lack of words formidable, domineering, cold, and strange. Silken strands of white hair that fell just below his chin, held together at the nape of his neck, the golden orbs of his eyes framed by thick lashes created a devastating look that melted hearts. Two magenta stripes marked his chiseled cheeks, a sign everyone put down to being a rebel. The crescent moon that identified him remained covered under the bangs that fell just above his eyes. Killer good looks, in a fitted, classic black suit, black shirt and white tie. An ensemble that would make any woman swoon. Yet it was rumored he never looked at a woman. Respected them yes, but never flirted or showed any emotions.

He stood facing the buildings that watching the sun come up. There was a new project that he was interested in was designing children stories. He requested interviews with the top artists and some of the new rising talent. Skimming trough portfolios, he came across an odd rendition of a dog and a child, playing together in a wide field.

There was a girl child, no older than eight years old, cuddled next to a very huge dog, with the widest golden eyes and a crescent moon on his head. The pair looked contented to be in each other's company.

A wind of air rushed out of him as he realized it was a scene from his past.

Picking up his phone he urged his secretary, Maria to send in the creator of this drawing. Complying graciously, she indicated the person would be up in a few minutes. Time ticked by slower than the centuries he spent in his sorrow.

Was the divinity that fast in sending her to him?

The door slowly opened as and a willowy figure appeared in the door way. Bright brown eyes, thick dark brown hair, with hints of red, a slightly tanned colour and a huge smile which quickly turned into a sheepish grin.

"Good morning Mr. Taisho, thank you for seeing me. I am Rin. Rin Atsue. Nice to meet you…"


End file.
